Phantom of the High School
by BellaMillennium
Summary: Tia has always been into Phantom of the Opera, especially the title character Erik. Her friends don't understand her obsession but she wishes that the whole thing could come to life. However, she gets more than she bargained for when a 15 year old version of her idol enrolls in her class. But how did he get there in the first place, and what else is going on behind the scenes?
1. Prolouge

**The Phantom of the High School**

 **Prologue**

 _I'm sorry, but I don't need a beta at the moment. Thanks for the offer though! P.S: Love your username; it made me doodle music notes all over my English project. Oh well, I can just say it's a border. Stay awesome! xx_

Tia finished typing her last reply and closed the lid on her laptop. Her eyes were burning, and a quick glance at the clock on her stereo told her it was almost eleven. She knew she shouldn't have responded to every review, but it was a tradition she'd had ever since she started writing fanfiction. It had been fine when she'd only had half a dozen reviews added every chapter, but now alternate endings had become so popular that hundreds came in every day.

"If any more are posted overnight they'll just have to wait" she thought as she got up from the curled position she'd held for almost two hours, groaning slightly as her limbs protested. Tia limped to her bathroom, which was thankfully only next door, and splashed her face with water from the tap. She brushed her teeth quickly, but didn't turn the electricity on for fear of waking up her sleeping parents.

As she did this, her eyes settled on the small engraving which was carved into the wall above the sink. It was the letters T+E, outlined in a heart. This amazing artwork had been done with a rusty nail three years before, when Tia was 12 and had first watched Phantom of the Opera. She had immediately become obsessed with it, particularly the title character Erik. Her young self had tried to explain (as well she could with the huge retainer she'd been forced to wear) that fictional crushes were one of the most common kinds, but no-one would listen. At least she'd had the sense to just talk about this with her friends, so her social life wasn't a complete wreck.

Tia traced the letters with a finger and put her toothbrush down. She already had her pyjamas on, so all she had to do once she got back to her room was flick the light off and fall into bed. She was asleep in minutes, but what she didn't know was that she wouldn't wake up to exactly the same life.

When Tia arrived in History class on Monday morning everything seemed normal. The boys on the rugby team were having a practise game with scrunched up pieces of paper, the notoriously forgetful Eleanor was begging Mr Dawn for a homework extension, and Kaylie and her group of chavs were discussing the new clothes they'd bought over the weekend. Tia stood behind her seat, got out her pencil case and books and surveyed the class for her friends. Nada.

Bored, she began twisting strands of her long auburn hair around each other, trying to create a plait. She didn't particularly like any part of her appearance, expect her eyes. They were green and slightly catlike, and she thought they made her look sly. Wouldn't it be cool to have two different colours though? Still obsessed.

"Hey!"

Tia was called out of her thoughts by her friend Megan, who had just come through the door. She had shoulder length blonde hair, which was adorned with a small army of clips and bows, and blue eyes. With her appearance you would expect her to be popular, but she was perfectly happy with her little group. Not that she wasn't trying to get one of the popular _guys_ to go out with her. Today her efforts took the form of a brush of mascara and some lilac lipgloss. None of these things were allowed at the school, which had a very strict uniform code, but they went unnoticed for some odd reason.

"Hm? Oh, hey Meg." Tia had always called the blonde that, for obvious reasons. Megan herself had only listened to Tia's description of the character, and since she used to do ballet she was fine with it.

"So," said Megan, inclining her head to the side, "what did you do at the weekend?"

"Oh, you know. Read. Write fanfics." Tia replied rather sheepishly. She knew that Meg spent most of her time out shopping or going to parties, so this news would definitely be boring to her. The next thing her friend said confirmed her suspicions.

"Seriously? Do you honestly ever do anything else?"

 _No,_ Tia wanted to say, but, seeing as smart comments were one of the only things that annoyed the blonde, she shrugged indifferently with a small smile. Megan saw the funny side of this and gave a giggle, still grinning as she slid into her place.

"Honestly though; you do know it isn't real, right?"

"Of course." Tia replied. _Though I wish it was._

A few moments after this, Mr Dawn got up from behind his desk, his signal that the lesson was about to begin. Tia saw her other friend Amy, a tall girl with black hair, slip through the door just before he closed it.

"You're late, Miss Black." the teacher said as Amy hurried past. She mumbled a quick apology and practically fell into her place, panting from the running she'd probably been doing through the hallways. _Well, she does live in the next town and has to walk,_ thought Tia.

Now that all his students were seated, Mr Dawn opened his mouth to start talking about the next topic they were going to be studying. Most of the class heard him start the word "right" before someone knocked on the door. He groaned in (slightly theatrical) frustration as he walked over to open it. Behind him, Tia could make out the shape of a short, slightly plump woman with a brown bob. This was Miss Finch, one of receptionists.

She spoke in hushed tones with Mr Dawn for a few moments (in which Tia heard one of the boys wolf-whistle) then stepped into the room to address the class, looking behind her as she did as though expecting someone to follow.

"Well Year 10, this is very short notice I know, but I have with me a new student who is going to be joining you for the rest of this year."

"Are they invisible?" yelled Leo from the back, earning a stern look from Mr Dawn.

"No, just a little shy." Miss Finch stepped to the door again, and stuck her head round to talk to the person outside. "Come on Mr Destler, they sound like it but they don't bite."

At the mention of her new classmate's surname, Tia looked up sharply. _No. That was way too much of a coincidence. It couldn't be-_

Then the boy came in.


	2. Chapter 1- Erik Destler

**Authors Note:**

 **Hi everyone! I am SO sorry this took such an age to update, but I've been really busy with a lot of schoolwork and (ugh) tests. I've also recently joined the school paper and had to write two articles (one about Bristol where I went last week; SUCH a nice city by the way) for said paper.**

 **Anyway, now that my excuses are finished, we can get to the actual reason I wanted to make an author's note. And that is….. (drum roll please)…..REVIEW REPLIES! I never thought I'd actually get any feedback until this was up for at least two years, so I was pleasantly surprised (if by pleasantly you mean running round the house yelling "Oh my God I got some!") So here they are:**

 **Phantomess115- I am so glad you're enjoying it! And there is nothing wrong with being obsessed….if it's with something as awesome as Phantom. As for the other Erik…in what way does he look similar? Because I don't think masks would be part of the dress code :D**

 **Eviejeeves- It won't stay a cliffhanger for long, but so sorry to keep you waiting! I am so happy you're liking it so far, and hopefully I won't take so long next time. Lol.**

 **Tangune- Don't worry, I plan to finish this story. And I'm glad you like it! Sorry, but help isn't needed at the moment. Thanks for the offer though.**

 **THANK YOU AND HAPPY READING!**

 **The Phantom of the High School**

 **Chapter Two**

 _Previously:_

" _Well Year 10, this is very short notice I know, but I have with me a new student who is going to be joining you for the rest of this year."_

" _Are they invisible?" yelled Leo from the back, earning a stern look from Mr Dawn._

" _No, just a little shy." Miss Finch stepped to the door again, and stuck her head round to talk to the person outside. "Come on Mr Destler, they sound like it but they don't bite."_

 _At the mention of her new classmate's surname, Tia looked up sharply._ No. That was way too much of a coincidence. It couldn't be-

 _Then the boy came in._

She didn't know how, but Tia managed not to faint. Her fists clenched and unclenched, then fell limply on her lap. She could feel her mouth hanging slightly ajar but couldn't find the willpower to close it. She was too busy staring at the person who'd just come through the door. And she wasn't the only one.

He was tall, taller than Mr Dawn, and very thin. He was clad in the boy's uniform of a blue shirt and trousers, but the black blazer stamped with the school logo seemed to swamp him so it looked as if he was hiding in it. His shoes were plain with two strips of Velcro on each one, and judging from the mud stains and tears they'd been bought second hand. The only thing he carried was a brown thatched bag, the kind you get from supermarkets that lasts longer than an average plastic one. He had smooth black hair that was cut haphazardly to about halfway up his neck and searching blue eyes. All this in itself would set alarm bells off in her mind, but none of these similarities were what caused her shock. After all, none of them were that unusual. No. On the right side of the boy's face, its white surface shining in the sunlight that was coming in through the windows, was a mask.

"Are you going to eat that?" asked Amy from across the table.

The three friends were sitting in the school's bustling cafeteria, eating Styrofoam containers of pasta and tomato sauce. The raven-haired girl had been gesturing towards Tia's portion, of which more than half was left. Tia herself shrugged and pushed the food to her friend, who tucked in appreciatively.

"Honestly Amy, do you ever stop eating?" asked Megan. "I'm full."

Amy swallowed." I didn't have any breakfast this morning. I was running late."

"I hadn't noticed" replied the blonde sarcastically, dodging a swipe from the other girl.

The two laughed for a minute, before turning to Tia. "Are you okay?" Megan asked. "You've barely said anything today."

"It's because of the new boy isn't it?" chipped in Amy.

Erik Destler, as they had unsurprisingly found out he was called, had spent the entire History class and the two classes after that sitting at his desk and not saying a word. His face (or what could be seen of it) was expressionless, and he answered to the register at the start of each lesson in monotone. No-one could help noticing though that his voice was surprisingly melodic; deep, but at the same time harmonized. Note perfect.

He didn't respond to the stares from his classmates or the whispered remarks from other students in the hallways between classes. He just kept his head down and got from one place to the next as quickly as possible. All Tia had seen of him at lunch was a tall black shape retreating towards the library. No-one had told him where it was; he just seemed to gravitate towards it. All the better. The tough guys, the sort to give him trouble, would never go in there unless absolutely necessary.

Tia turned towards her friends as these thoughts ran through her mind. "I'm OK" she said finally. "I just-I just don't get it. Why is he here?"

Amy finished the last of her pasta and pushed the empty container away before answering. "Come on T, it's not actually him. He's not real, "she said, trying to be gentle.

"He's here. And if it isn't him, why does look the same? And have the same name?"

"Maybe he's into it, like you are. Or his parents thought it would be funny," suggested her friend.

"What about the mask?" said Tia, arguing now.

"Well…..okay, maybe it is him. Then I have absolutely no idea why he's here. Maybe it's one of your fanfics come to life."

"No M-ratings please!" squealed Megan, pretending to shield her eyes.

The three friends laughed, but Tia was thinking about Amy had said. If it was one of her stories transferred to the real world, what would happen? And how the heck did it happen in the first place?

 _This is going to be an interesting year._

After lunch was over, the three girls started heading to the English building for their next class. They had seen a guy outside the cafeteria who Megan had previously been going out with and they'd all cracked up about it. As Tia tried to slow her breathing so as not to cause more pain to her now aching sides, all thoughts of Erik Destler were gone from her mind. As they rounded the corner however, the scene before them changed that.

He was surrounded by three boys, all of whom were his height but a lot wider. Tia recognized them immediately as Tom Crawley and his goons. They were in the year above her and, since they had realised some time ago that they'd never pass their exams, they decided to channel all their energy into beating people up-particularly new kids.

Tom himself stood right in front of Erik with his arms out, as if to use his bulk to stop the other boy from running. His pig-like features were turned up in a smirk, an expression mirrored by the two others who stood in seemingly designated spots behind their victim. A few others stood around; some laughing, some rolling their eyes, and a few Year 7's who looked like they were wondering if running to get a teacher would be a good idea. Erik himself stood still in the centre, not looking at anything but the floor.

The leader suddenly lunged at Erik's bag, spilling its contents over the paved ground and provoking laughter from some of the crowd. The boy himself didn't protest or even react; staying in the same position he'd been in since the start. This aggravated Tom and he came forward again, shoving Erik back. His victim swayed a little but kept his balance, that is until the other two thugs came from behind him and used their combined strength to push down on his shoulders, causing him to sit abruptly on the floor.

Then it started.

Tia heard Megan gasp from behind her as all three of the older boys began punching their victim, yanking him right and left by his collar so their blows would find their mark. She couldn't see well with a line of people who'd seemed to come out of nowhere to watch in her way, but she winced every time she heard an impact. _God, Erik. I never liked you being a_ _murderer and all that but please do something!_ she screamed in her mind as the onslaught continued. She wanted to run forward and yell at them to stop, but her shaking legs wouldn't take a step. Tom and his friends had been known to pick on girls too, and though she cursed her cowardice she couldn't bring herself to be put under fire. All she could do was close her eyes and beg for it to end soon.

A few minutes of torture later (though she was sure it was so much worse for Erik) Tom called his goons off, yelled "See ya masky!" and ran away, sniggering, to the basketball courts where he and the other no-hopers hung out while everyone else was in class. The rest of the students who had been spectating followed their example and soon the pathway where this had all taken place was empty save for Tia, her friends and the boy still lying on the ground.

Forcing her legs to move, Tia ran to him, ignoring the calls from her friends sounding behind her. She didn't care if he was a fictional character; he was a hurt fictional character and it was clear no-one else was going to help him. Besides, he was Erik.

He looked up as she neared him, his eyes shining with surprise and suppressed fear. Tia swallowed the lump in her throat and spoke in what she hoped was a reassuring tone.

"It's alright. I'm not-I'm not going to hurt you."

He definitely looked as though he'd had enough of that. The left side of his face was dotted with cuts and small bruises, and Tia wondered how his mask hadn't been torn off in the fight. What would have been their reaction to that? On top of his injuries, his clothes were dusty and one side of his shirt collar was sticking out in a way that would have been comical had it not been for the situation.

At her words he pulled himself to a standing position and began gathering his belongs that had been scattered across the ground. Tia watched in confusion as he picked up the books and pencils and deposited them in his bag. Then he turned and began walking, shoulders hunched, to the English building, leaving an extremely puzzled girl in his wake.

She didn't get it. In every incarnation he'd been antisocial, but never mute. He should have talked to her, especially when she'd offered help. She didn't shout after him though, just started dumbfounded at his retreating figure as it went through a door and out of sight.

"So rude!" Tia turned to see her friends standing close behind her. This comment had come from Megan, who was folding her arms- a gesture she only did when she was annoyed.

"You were only trying to help him!"

Tia turned away, looking across the empty playground at the door Erik had gone through. She sighed in something between sadness and acceptance.

"It's fine, really. Let's just go to English," she said quietly. Then, without waiting for a reply, she set off across the concrete, wanting to be alone with her thoughts. They swirled around her head like incessant birds, refusing to stop chirping her concerns about what just happened.

The birds were chased away when finally, as she was ascending the steps leading up to her classroom, she reached a conclusion. He just needed to warm up to her, that was all. If he'd just come from another world like Amy said, then he would definitely need some time to get used to modern people. Give him a few days. Besides, if he was anything like the Erik she knew, they were going to be friends.

 **Authors Note:**

 **I bit longer this time, but Erik hasn't had a line yet! Don't worry, we'll find out why he's so closed off soon. It may have a little something to do with who he lives with…..**

 **R &R plz! ;)**


	3. Chapter 2-Music

**Authors Note:**

 **Hello again! Let me just start by saying that I am a horrible liar saying I would get this out quickly-though on the bright side it was a shorter hiatus than last time :) This time though I don't have the excuse of school because I have been on blissful holidays for two weeks with only one piece of homework. In those two weeks I've been working on this on and off, in between going to a holiday club and travelling up to London for three days (in which I visited Harrods, the British Museum, the aquarium, went on a riverboat trip, saw my seventh musical Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and got an awesome Harry Potter shirt from the market). And, since I go back tomorrow, here's a present for you. But first, replies to my three lovely reviewers this time round!**

 **Eviejeeves- Thank you for returning and glad you still like it (I was wondering if the first chapter was a fluke :D)! Also, Tia-chan….well, it was going to happen sooner or later.**

 **TrinJ- This is so weird; I read most of your stories before I got an account, which are very good by the way :) Glad you liked my weak attempt at humour (one of the things I've never seemed to be able to do in writing) and welcome aboard!**

 **ThePhantomoftheOpera01- Thanks for reviewing and so glad you like it! I've been on your profile too and I've decided to secure the Wicked Creed at some point- it's awesome! And I love your profile picture too! I just realised that I use way too many exclamation marks in these replies. Oh well, these parts don't get marked on grammar. I hope.**

 **HAPPY READING (AND VERY LATE EASTER)!**

 **The Phantom of the High School**

 **Chapter Two**

 _Previously:_

 _Tia turned away, looking across the empty playground at the door Erik had gone through. She sighed in something between sadness and acceptance._

" _It's fine, really. Let's just go to English," she said quietly. Then, without waiting for a reply, she set off across the concrete, wanting to be alone with her thoughts. They swirled around her head like incessant birds, refusing to stop chirping her concerns about what just happened._

 _The birds were chased away when finally, as she was ascending the steps leading up to her classroom, she reached a conclusion. He just needed to warm up to her, that was all. If he'd just come from another world like Amy said, then he would definitely need some time to get used to modern people. Give him a few days. Besides, if he was anything like the Erik she knew, they were going to be friends._

"For the tenth time James, a quaver is not edible! Not in this case anyway."

Tia exhaled in a bored fashion and slumped against her blue plastic chair. She was sitting in a music lesson, in which they were trying to name the different types of notes as a starter, and this exchange between the teacher and one of the-ahem-slower boys in the class had been going on for quite a while now. It was moments like this where she thanked the Lord that most of their classes were set by ability now that their exams had started. Everyone still had to do one lesson a week of both PE and one of "the arts" though. More's the pity.

Tia herself happened to quite like music, even though she had only stuck with the keyboard for a few months when she was younger before giving it up. She could learn songs quickly, and when a melody got stuck in her head she'd spam the loop button on her IPod until she was satisfied. You could guess what she kept coming back to though.

She looked around the room to see if anyone was as frustrated with their classmates' current stupidity as she was. Most of the children were either giggling at the boys comments or whispering in little groups where they sat, and no-one was looking at her. In that strange solitude her eyes found their way to Erik.

He had now been in the school a week but hadn't made any friends; most students avoided him like the plague for fear of being picked up by Tom Crawley and his gang, for whom Erik was now the main prey, Not that the boy had tried to gain any companions. He seemed content (or as content as he could be) going to the mandatory classes, sitting in the library for the lunch and break periods and bearing his run-ins with the bullies with quiet resilience. However, he still did not speak unless spoken to by a teacher.

In those seven days, Tia hadn't had any luck. Whenever she found herself near the boy and tried to inch her way closer, he took off without even glancing. Despite this, she was sticking to her 'getting used to' philosophy and not giving up. They _would_ have a proper conversation by the end of the year. _For sure._

In his seat by the teachers computer (this place had been improvised since the greying professor hardly ever used it), Erik was not bored. Instead he was scribbling something Tia could not see on a piece of lined paper that may or may not have been stolen from the resources drawer next to him. He was deep in thought and did not notice when Mr Michaels, having finished his conversation on the other side of the room, noticed his lack of attention.

"Erik!"

The boy casually looked up. "Yes Sir?" His voice was calm, but there was a defiance in there that made the class look up from their private chats and hold their breath.

"What do you think is so important that it can take up the time that should be used in my lesson?"

He spotted the paper still clutched in his pupil's hand. "Writing notes are you?"

"No Sir. Well, yes, but I don't believe they are the kind you are thinking of."

Mr Michaels snatched the object, lay it flat in his hand and read it. Tia could see the telltale lines and shapes from her vantage point. She suppressed a smile.

"Well, this is lovely, but don't you have any other time where you can copy out the works of famous composers?"

At this, Erik smirked, as if this was the opportunity he'd been waiting for for the last week.

"That is where you are wrong Sir."

The class let out the collective breath they'd been holding in a gasp. People had spoken back to teachers before, obviously, but never had they corrected them in such a bold manner. Moreover, this particular person had hardly spoken a hundred words that week and most of them were in the register.

Seeing the shock (in which Mr Michaels was included) the boy went on.

"This piece was composed by me, with no outside help. I have in fact been working on it for quite a while- this is only the third verse. Anyway, I don't see how concentration would be key in an exercise that many toddlers could complete. Though I see- here his smile broadened- that some in this room can only hope to reach that level of intelligence."

The majority of the class turned to look at James who, after looking dumbfounded for a moment, huffed in indignation, though it was half-hearted. This seemed to bring Mr Michaels out of his trance, and in a futile attempt to re-establish his authority he immediately began speaking, flustered.

"Now, that is quite enough! You know very well that this is a mixed ability class and you have no right to speak about your fellow pupils in that way! "

He paused, and everyone knew that he was thinking of a suitable punishment. Tia begged that he wouldn't be too harsh. Although the school was generally quite lax about things that weren't reported, a lot of the older teachers were very big on respect. Her silent prayer was thankfully answered when Mr Michaels took a deep breath and spoke.

"Seeing as it's your first lesson with me, I'll let it slide just this once. But don't let it happen again." He then turned away, walking to a shelf on the other side of the room and collecting a stack of laminated papers. Moving more swiftly than you would expect from a man his age, he moved around the room, handing one to every student.

Tia held the smooth material in her hands and began skimming the words. The paper detailed the next project the class was going to be working on, which in the bold title was revealed to be a composition with the theme of nature. This didn't particularly excite her, and not just because of the theme- though they had done compositions for most of the year- it was the fact that all of these projects were done in pairs. Every half term, random teams of one girl and one boy were chosen, and they were tasked to complete their piece in six lessons before playing it to the class and being assessed according to certain criteria. Being graded in music didn't bother her as long as she did OK, but for the last three projects she had been grouped with the laziest specimens of the opposite gender in her class and, despite Mr Michaels' initial insistence that they work together, had ended up doing the majority of them herself. Tia sighed again and didn't look up when the teacher began reading out pairs. If the automated computer system that chose the teams really did hate her like her friends had jovially suggested, then she wasn't looking forward to this.

The sound of someone clearing their throat brought her back from her thoughts and she raised her head to see a hazel haired boy named Ryan looking expectantly at her. She peered around him to see his and Megan's names on the interactive whiteboard, and vacated her seat so he could sit next to his partner. The two struck up a conversation almost immediately, so Tia stood awkwardly near them waiting for her name to come up. She glanced at Erik's place again, finding him still there and alone. _Maybe_ …. her thoughts returned, this time hopeful. _No. There's still more than half the class left, and the system hates you, remember? Even so…._

Her eyes returned to the board and, even though she told herself she was just waiting, the hope was still at the back of her mind. Three groups passed and the feeling transferred to her stomach in what most people described as butterflies. _This is stupid._

Then her name appeared.

Next to Erik's.

 _Oh._

 **Authors Note:**

 **Oooooooh! Tia is finally getting a bit of social contact with her idol-how cute! I was originally going to make this chapter longer, but I just finished it today and I wanted to get it out before I go back to school (tomorrow by the way). Since I already know exactly what'll happen the next instalment may come out this weekend, though I won't promise.**

 **And for those wondering why he finally came out of his shell a bit, it's because of music! I can't imagine him actually bothering to participate in such a simple activity when he could be composing. Also, respect to anyone who worked out that the music teacher in this scene is a reference to the original Erik actor, Michael Crawford (though much stricter of course)!**

 **R &R! **


	4. Chapter 3-New Acquaintances

**Authors Note:**

 **Hi my readers (that is if there are any of you after me disappearing). Thank goodness I didn't promise this would be out the weekend after Chapter Three! I see you all updating your stories every second day and I wonder: "How do you do it?" I blame life. So silly of it getting in the way of more important things.**

 **I have nil updates about myself so onto review replies! And there are four of you this time so I must be getting better :)**

 **AliceHeart247- Thanks for the lovely compliments and glad you enjoy! I don't know about it being the best modern version on this site (I have read some good ones) but in my eyes the story is just beginning.**

 **PotOphan- First of all, love the username! Took me a while to work out all the initials though. I'm smart :D Thanks so much and welcome!**

 **creepergurl2002- Glad you're enjoying it and, well, here ya go!**

 **TrinJ- Thanks for the second comment and no problem-your fics are amazing! And yes, the school in this story is almost entirely based on my own (it's pretty much just the characters that have changed).**

 **THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING AND HAPPY READING!**

 _Previously:_

 _Her eyes returned to the board and, even though she told herself she was just waiting, the hope was still at the back of her mind. Three groups passed and the feeling transferred to her stomach in what most people described as butterflies. This is stupid._

 _Then her name appeared._

 _Next to Erik's._

 _Oh._

Tia stood unmoving beside her original seat, trying to prevent her nervous energy from rising in a fangirl scream in her throat. Her attempt was successful, mostly because once a few seconds had passed after her partners reveal her mouth became void of moisture, forcing her to be silent. She stayed in this position for what felt like hours (though in reality it was only a few seconds) before a flash of blue in the corner of her vision caught her attention. These had been Erik's eyes, which had shifted from the song he was still writing to look up at her. Now that they were perfectly in her line of sight, she noticed that they were indeed two different shades. The one on the left was a deep sapphire, while the other was lighter and slightly clouded, like mist settled over water on a winter's morning. There was a strange emotion in those eyes. They were stony, boring unblinking into her own, but the eyebrows were raised, as if daring her to go and sit by him.

 _No one else likes me. Try it. We'll see how long you last._

Her reach for this gauntlet was sped up dramatically when a mess of disjointed chords sounded from behind her. If James had already started, there was a problem. She quickly grabbed a spare chair and dragged it to the teacher's desk where Erik worked, stopping every so often to prize the object from the bumps in the carpet that it had got stuck behind. She was sweating by the time she crossed the classroom, but she wasn't sure it was entirely from exertion. She turned the seat around awkwardly and set it down next to his so that they were facing each other. The dry feeling returned to her throat, but this time she managed to push through it with a "Hi".

Tia knew she was nervous, but was still surprised to hear how quiet her voice had become. It was barely above a whisper and raspy as if she'd just had her tonsils removed. She swallowed and tried again.

"I'm…... Tia."

"I know. I read the board."

"Oh." _Great, now he thinks I'm an idiot,_ Tia thought as his eyebrows went even higher in amused disbelief. "There's also the fact that you follow me," he added.

Tia blushed furiously. "No I don't! I just….." She paused, her cheeks reddening further as she realised he was right in his statement (if only in a few ways) . "Look, do you want to start this project or not?".

Erik didn't answer with words, just opened the desired program on the computer he was already logged into and nonchalantly flicked the keyboard's on switch with a finger, slipping on the padded black headphones that were attached to the system with his other hand as he did. In doing this he didn't turn once to his partner, and to Tia it was clear that, after introductions, the musical genius wanted to work alone. Slowly and as if expecting him to put his hand out and stop her, she reached for the second pair of headphones and slipped them over her ears.

The second she did this, all noises of the outside world were replaced by the sweet sound of high piano notes (the keyboard could be set to sound like any instrument) ringing like falling leaves as Erik's fingers danced across the keys. He didn't seem to need to rehearse-the music just poured out of him as easily as speaking. Any animosity she'd felt towards the boy for his jibe earlier was gone, swept away by the music which, as it progressed, was reminding her more and more of springtime. _Ah, nature composition._

It was some time before Tia realised that he was repeating the pattern and actually recording it this time. As he held the last long note, he pressed the spacebar with a flourish and gazed at his handiwork, which had now taken the form of a zigzag line encased in a blue rectangle on the screen. Only then did he finally look at the girl.

His expression was very different from when he had turned away; he now wore a small smile, proud and expectant, which widened when he saw Tia's shocked face. It was a sort of smirk (like the one he'd given Mr Michaels earlier) but this time saying _beat that._

Tia thought for a moment then gave a smile of her own, reaching towards the mouse to record again. Erik reluctantly let her, probably thinking he could delete whatever rubbish she came up with as soon as she admitted how bad it was. The girl was just thankful for one thing, which was the fact that making music sound like a certain situation was what she received praise for most in the subject.

After the tinny noise of the eight-beat countdown had passed, she started. The gentle melody that Erik had composed was cut off by a loud crash- a chord from the lowest notes of the instrument. She paused, then repeated the noise thrice more, until her part was as long as her partners including spaces. She then started a new line on the music program and recorded over what she'd created with a complex rhythm of electric guitar. The springtime created before had been interrupted by a violent thunderstorm.

As she finished Tia mirrored the boy's previous actions, slowly turning and looking expectantly at him. And though he was doing a better job of hiding it than she had, she could see the shock. Then, with less hesitation than she'd expected, he nodded.

"Any more ideas?"

Half an hour later Tia left the music room with a warm feeling of accomplishment in her chest. She and Erik had spent the rest of the class contentedly composing and actually talking at the same time. True, the conversation had been limited to music, but her classmate didn't try and avoid her gaze like he had before. She leant against the wall next the classroom's glass door to wait for her friends and thought: ' _progress'._

Amy joined her a few seconds later, followed shortly by Meg who was still talking to Ryan. The blonde waved him off, seemingly oblivious to her friends giggling behind her. Then the three girls set off for lunch.

As they passed the green area beside the cafeteria, their attention was drawn to the scene taking place on the grass. Erik was being dragged by his sleeve to the pond in the centre, his arm roughly gripped by none other than Tom Crawley himself. Tia had tried to stay out of the way when these two came into contact; she had only taken fleeting glances before hurrying away, for fear of both being targeted and having Erik resent her even more when she tried to help. But now she realised things were different. They had talked, and a sudden obligation fuelled her courage. Without bothering to look behind to see if her friends were still with her, she set off towards the boys.

The grass wasn't supposed to be open to students, but of course the majority went there anyway: the school's population was so large that not everyone could fit into an area that wasn't out of bounds at break and lunchtime. As a result the small stretch was decorated with the children's leavings-discarded food wrappers, pieces of homework fashioned into aeroplanes and a few odd shoes taken from PE kits in the midst of friendly conflicts. The pond was exactly the same, and most of the Science teachers had now realised that any creatures they looked for in various class excursions had disappeared due to it. Tia didn't notice these things as she approached the fight. Nothing could distract her from the task at hand.

Tom looked up sharply when he heard the girl, stopping on the edge of the water with Erik still in his grasp. Both boys looked at Tia with surprise, but Tom snapped himself out quickly (must keep up his reputation) and changed his face to a confident smile.

"What do you want? A pretty thing like you doesn't need to see this."

 _Oh my God, is he flirting with me?_ Tia couldn't be sure if the thug was joking or not, but she could feel herself shaking. Even though his gang wasn't here, Tom could do some serious damage. She caught Erik's eye, then thought about how he'd corrected Mr Michaels in music earlier that day. _Be like that._

"Wow Tom, that is desperate, even for you." She took another step forwards, surprised at how brave she sounded in proportion to how she felt. "But you're right; I don't want to see this. So do everyone a favour and _stop."_

The taller boy blinked at her, his brain slowly processing what she had just told him. He shook his head, looking like he was trying to convince himself this wasn't happening, then turned back to Tia.

"You serious? Why would I do that for you?" His bravado was back but he sounded slightly hesitant, as if expecting an army to appear behind his opposition and blast him over the school building. Tia saw this new emotion and stepped forward once more.

"Because I'm in control."

She instantly thought how stupidly dramatic those words sounded, and would have begun preparing for Tom's snorting laughter and a face full of grass had Erik (who'd been incredibly placid until now) not given a sudden struggle. This movement, combined with the gang leader's previous shock, sent the boy careening into the pond with a loud and extremely satisfying splash.

The water wasn't deep- just under a metre-so Tom's bulk was only partially submerged. He sat in the murky liquid with his cyan shirt soaked through, looking so funny that Tia couldn't stop a spurt of laughter escaping. Years of watching hilarious musical parodies had only worsened her habit of hysterical laughter, which most often arrived in moments no-one else found funny. She smothered the noise and turned to Erik, embarrassed. He was staring at her.

"Why...why did you do that?"

"Sorry" she said hurriedly, silently cursing her immaturity.

"No, not the laughing. Why did you help me?" She looked at him closely, but his expression wasn't close to matching the sarcasm or slight vanity he'd worn earlier. It was genuinely curious.

"Well, I couldn't just leave you. And I shouldn't have before, no-one should. Tom's an idiot and he shouldn't do that to people just because he can't do anything else. Besides, we're… ( _oh no, here it_ _comes_ ) friends?

The masked boy seemed to think for a moment. "More acquaintances, but if you want to know me that way."

Tia had to stop herself from falling into the water as well.

 **Authors Note:**

 **Sorry if the ending's a bit rushed but I wanted to get this out ASAP.**

 **Well, that is the end of the foundation chapters. Now that Erik and Tia are actually going to be spending time together the main conflict can begin. I dropped a hint at the end of Chapter Two which will be a lot more obvious to whoever's read the Kay novel.**

 **R &R!**


	5. Chapter 4- Forbidden Answers

**Authors Note:**

 **Hi again! I swear I was all set with this chapter, but then fanfiction suddenly decided to glitch some of my new reviews so I couldn't read them. I like to reply to all of you at the same time, so I hope you don't mind waiting a bit longer than I intended. BTW, as far as I can tell this glitch happened to everyone.**

 **Anyway, the wait payed off, as there are five to reply to!**

 **AliceHeart247- Don't worry. It may take a year, but this fic will be finished! And there is quite an explicit reference to the Kay aspect of this story in this chapter, but I won't spoil it here.**

 **Eviejeeves- Yes they are cute aren't they? I must admit I was preparing for flames using Erik with an OC, but it seems to have gone down well. Glad you enjoy it!**

 **PotOphan- Again, hurray for shipping success (so far)! And I've never heard that one before. I hope your teeth are OK.**

 **TrinJ- Many thanks for third comment! I really need to review one of yours. Glad you liked the composition; I was worried that part was boring. And acquaintance is Erik's way of saying soulmate…..he just doesn't know it yet :D**

 **Creepergurl2002- Wow, I didn't know my writing could make someone beg-but here you go!**

"Um, Erik?"

After the fiasco on the grass, the newly formed acquaintances had left Tom pouring water out of his shoes and walked to the canteen for lunch. Tia had fired a quick text to Amy to let her and Meg know that she wouldn't be eating with them, but made sure to look at her feet so as not to catch their eyes when she came out of the serving area clutching her tray of soup and a bread roll.

She had of course gone to sit opposite Erik, but after a while it had become clear that what she had first thought of as him saving her seat was in fact him not planning on eating. Instead he stared at her rather uncomfortably, seeming not to know what to say, and occasionally glancing suspiciously around the crowded room. Looking back at him, Tia realised that she hadn't seen him attend a meal since he'd joined the school, and she wondered if this was the cause of his thinness.

At her question the boy blinked, as if he hadn't been expecting to have a conversation during the meal. When he spoke his voice was hesitant and more raspy than his normal smooth tone.

"Yes?"

Tia hesitated before continuing. She didn't want to offend him, especially now that he'd admitted that they could be friends.

"Why don't you eat?" She finally blurted.

He looked surprised at her intrusion, but answered fairly quickly regardless.

"I don't depend on it as much as other people do. Besides….." He faltered and looked down at the table, his eyes becoming void of expression- something that Tia was beginning to realise he often did when he wasn't prepared to continue a conversation. She didn't press the matter further, but couldn't help wondering about the cause of his silence. Whatever he'd been about to say was an obvious dislike for him.

She ate the rest of her meal without a word, then began walking with Erik to her afternoon classes. As they turned into the maths corridor, Tia hesitantly spoke again, hoping that her next question wouldn't cause any problems.

"So…..do you like it here? At the school I mean?"

It was a few milliseconds after the words had passed her lips that she realised how stupid they sounded. _Of course_ he didn't enjoy it, what with the bullying (though that may be over after the pond incident) and only having someone to talk to after a week. This reasoning was why his answer shocked her so much.

"I suppose. The lessons are quite easy but otherwise it's better than what I'm used to."

Tia had to hide a gasp. She'd expected him to be indifferent, but what could possibly be worse than enduring Tom Crawley and his gang every day?

Ignoring her confusion, he raised his hand slightly in farewell and opened the door to his maths classroom. She didn't follow. A yearning for an explanation burned in her chest, but the fact remained that Erik was in the extended set and maths was her worst subject. She would gladly take waiting to continue the conversation over an hour of degree level algebra, that is if she could find a way of getting onto the register. Not especially reluctantly, she turned and made her way down the hall to her own classroom.

Tia couldn't concentrate in maths or the French class that came after it: Erik's words were still playing on her mind and she had to figure out what he meant. She nibbled the end of her biro, glancing frequently at the small clock mounted on the wall to see if school was any nearer to ending. She leapt out of her seat when the bell sounded to signal the end of the day, but was kept back by her teacher giving a droning lecture about errors in their translation texts and things they could do to remedy them. The girl listened for a while, but when the clock hands twisted gradually down she began to squirm. She needed to find out today, it would kill her if she didn't. But Erik had his last lesson in a different room and she had no idea where he went afterwards. She _had_ to find him.

When the door was finally opened, Tia ran out of it and down the stairs two at a time. She pushed through the crowd of students congregated by the hall and out of the main entrance. Stopping to catch her breath for a moment, she spotted Erik crossing the car park. Not caring if anyone saw her, she sprinted towards him, not wanting the boy to leave without noticing she was there. He turned at the sound of her feet.

Before she had a chance to ask what she wanted, Erik spoke.

"Look, about what I said earlier. Before maths. Forget it, okay?" His tone was stern, but he also sounded like he was pleading, like he'd spoken out of turn previously and didn't want anyone else to know. Tia wasn't convinced though.

"Erik, if something's wrong, you can always tell-"

" _I said forget it!"_ Tia stepped back involuntarily at the harshness in his voice and though she wasn't looking could be sure some people were staring. The boy must have sensed her fear, as his tone softened. "Sorry. Just please don't talk about it; I didn't mean to say what I did."

This still wasn't much of an explanation, but this time Tia nodded. He smiled; his grin broadening with relief, then turned away with a quiet "bye" and started walking down to the traffic lights.

Tia watched him go and sighed. Oh well. He'd never been the easiest person to talk to, even when he was imprisoned in the media. Still….. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut and shook her head, bringing most of her hair forward into her eyes. _Don't be possessive_. He was a real person, and what he said and didn't say was his business.

A few minutes later a grey car pulled up, and Tia got in, greeting her mum as she slid into the passenger seat beside her. They began driving and she felt at peace for the first time that day.

As they came into town however, she failed to notice the fraying sign taped to the park fence. The sign which, if you looked closely, was inscribed with three bold words.

 _ **The Living Corpse.**_

 **Authors Note:**

 **The next chapter will defiantly be up sooner, mostly because I'm sorry for making you guys wait for this one. The big hint is right at the end of this chapter, but you might not recognise it if you haven't read the Susan Kay novel. In the musical, Erik's 'stage name' is The Devil's Child instead. And if you know about Erik's childhood in any version….you can make a pretty good guess at one of the upcoming characters.**

 **Be prepared for a new post in the next two weeks and R &R!**


	6. Chapter 5- Revealed

**Authors Note:**

 **Hello! Well, this is my shortest update time yet- just over a week! I think that deserves a round of applause or a cookie or something, don't you? I'm actually enjoying my half term break at the moment (it started last Friday) and since I'm going on a trip to Portsmouth tomorrow I thought I might as well post this. Also, all my fellow British people might have watched the Britain's got Talent final at the weekend. The girl singing Wicked came 6** **th** **. 6** **th** **! Silly public voters.**

 **Only three reviews this time but I think we can owe that to short update times :)**

 **creepergurl2002- You are very welcome and I'm glad you reviewed so quickly! As for Erik's last class…if their school is anything like mine and Tia's one was French, it would either be Spanish or German. I'll leave you to decide which one he'd rather learn!**

 **AliceHeart247- Thank you so much, for both the compliments and the conformation that I wasn't the only one with the reviews glitch. And of course Tia is understanding…she's a phangirl.**

 **AnimeFantasyBeliever- Hello Beth- I knew you'd find this at some point. Well…I told you my username, but still. I will be reading yours when it's uploaded! By the way, on this website most people review each chapter as they are published, so I look forward to seeing you again ;) !**

As Tia arrived in her English class the next morning, the first thing she saw was an excited -looking Meg staring expectantly at her from behind her desk. Sighing, she walked over. She didn't have the chance to open her mouth before the blonde started her tangent.

"So, how was it with Erik yesterday? We were so worried that something might have happened with Tom but then Amy got your text. I'm so happy for you...I never thought you would get a boyfriend- not that you wouldn't be able to of course, you just seemed to be thinking of other things. And he's, like, from your fantasies and everything. That is so cool!"

With her last sentence Megan threw her arms around her friends neck, pulling Tia forward and momentarily crushing the air out of her. After a few long seconds she was released, gasping. She should have seen that coming. Nothing got Meg more excited than the prospect of romance.

Wait, what?

"Meg, no!" she said, louder than she meant to. A few people around them turned to look, and Tia stopped until they'd returned to their original conversations. No one else needed to hear this.

"I mean, he's not my boyfriend. We've only been talking for a day."

"Tell that to the Frozen cast- that was marriage."

Tia was about to reply that it was also a movie, then remembered her own situation and thought better of it.

"Still. We're just friends." she said firmly as their teacher, a slightly quirky woman named Miss Palmer, entered the classroom and motioned for them all to sit down. She heard Meg whisper "So far" from behind her and rolled her eyes.

The next few days passed without incident. Tia alternated her time between studying, Erik and her friends, which seemed to go down well for everyone. Meg still pestered her about her 'relationship' but Tia gradually learned to ignore it, starting another conversation or pretending to inspect one of her nails. They had another music lesson and Mr Michaels was full of praise for her and Erik's composition, which now included rain that slowly morphed into a raging waterfall. Her partner himself didn't say much, but when he did it was clear that they were now friends. Tia hadn't tried to get him to talk about anything, and his gratitude showed in his actions. He was kind, generally interested in what she had to say and patient when she messed up on their music piece. Tom had left them alone, and they both laughed when he caught sight of them in the cafeteria and backed away slowly.

He wasn't singing to her through a mirror or rowing her through underground passageways in a gondola like she'd imagined years ago, but things did seem pretty perfect.

On Thursday morning she was on her way to her first class, Physics, when she overheard two boys talking in front of her. They were year 7 or 8, the gelled hair and stereo rucksacks making that obvious. Tia normally wouldn't bother listening to them, but something they were saying caught her attention.

"Hey, are you going to the fair in town tonight?"

"I dunno, probably Friday. Mum gets annoying if I stay out late before I have school. You going?

"Yeah, Lucas is meeting me there. It sounds so sick; there's meant to be a freak show!"

"Really?"

"Yeah. The posters advertise it like it's all staged and stuff, I guess so the police don't notice, but apparently it's actually real! That bit's meant to be for over 18's, but we're going to try and sneak in."

"Awesome!"

Tia didn't hear any more as they rounded a corner, and she didn't want to. The words had already hit her like a tonne of bricks. This couldn't be it. The thing Erik wouldn't talk about- it couldn't be. Everything fit perfectly though: saying school was better than what he was used to, the hesitance in making friends, not fighting back when Tom and his gang were on him….

She had to ask.

 _No she didn't._

She needed to know.

 _She was going to make him angry again._

Tia swallowed. Though she was convinced the boy wouldn't hurt her, he was one of the tallest people she'd ever met and judging from the way he'd tipped Tom into the pond he was capable of a lot. She definitely didn't want to get on the wrong side of him. And yet, if she did ask, getting on the wrong side of him was almost inevitable. _And they'd gotten so close…_

 _No. I'm not going to lose him as a friend. If he trusts me, he's a lot more likely to tell me what he does at home,_ she thought as she entered the classroom. Sliding her bag down her arm and under the high wooden table, she caught Erik's eye. He smiled back at her, the mask twitching slightly as his lips moved it.

 _Who was I kidding? I wouldn't lose this for the world._

After school, Tia was waiting at the side of the car park for her mum like she always did. The cool November breeze whipped around her, and she pulled the two sides of her open blazer together in an effort to conserve heat.

Several students passed her in chattering groups, either wearing sweatshirts over their uniform or changed into completely different outfits. Clearly a lot of people were going to the fair. She caught the strong scent of some kind of cologne, which probably belonged to one of the Year 7's trying to seem older and get into the restricted areas. _Idiots._

The sudden, harsh blast of a horn made her flinch, and she turned to see if anyone had started the noise to annoy their parents. What she saw instead was a huge man with black, greasy hair thumping the centre of his van's steering wheel impatiently. She heard the door at the side of the vehicle slide open, then shut again as someone climbed inside. Almost immediately afterwards the engine spluttered to life and the van lurched away. _Strange. She'd never seen anyone with that before, but somehow that man seemed familiar…._

From his makeshift bed in the straw, he heard the sounds of people cheering and laughing as they were given access to the area. Soon enough they would be crowding round, wanting a show- a demand for which he had no choice but to oblige. He raised his hands to his cheek and slipped off the polished article, covering it gently with golden stems of hay. Leaning up against the rusting bars that served as his wall, he winced.

 _Perhaps this town would be kinder._

His contemplation was disrupted by a beam of light, arriving as the flaps of the tent were lifted. For a fleeting moment he saw the world outside, a supernova of colours, squealing and neon lights. He inched forward, wanting to be closer, even part of it, but the light was now blocked by a platoon of shadows, tasked to keep him inside here forever.

The first row of shadows moved forward into the darkness, and he got ready to greet his public.

 **Authors Note:**

 **So many hints! I think most people who've seen the movie or read the Susan Kay novel will have got the character and the setup by now. I was considering putting the first part of Chapter Six in this as well, but I wanted to get this out quickly and didn't want it to be too long. Except the next update next week, but maybe this weekend if we're lucky!**


	7. Chapter 6- Enter the Fair

**Authors Note:**

 **I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry! I honestly thought I'd got the hang of the deadline thing, but I guess I proved myself wrong. I have a tonne of excuses but they'd take forever to list, so I'll just be concise and say it was a combination of end of year exams, visiting relatives and preparing for a trip to France I'm making with my school.**

 **Nothing else has really happened so onto replies!**

 **creepergurl2002- Thanks for the fourth review and you'd be right! Some things are definitely going down in this chapter.**

 **AliceHeart247- Thanks so much, and extra thanks for commenting a fourth time! And yes, Portsmouth was fun. Hope you like this next instalment!**

 **PotOphan- Thank you and glad you still like it. And I've heard weirder. At least your teeth don't hurt any more :D**

 **DreamsOfSong: Thank you and welcome! I actually received your review while I was at a bus stop, which was…..interesting. This chapter is a bit longer than the previous two, so I hope it satisfies!**

 **TrinJ- You are very welcome! This is your fourth review, fifth if you count the PM you sent me, which I am so sorry I had to wait until now to reply to. I only noticed it in my inbox about five minutes after I posted the last chapter- derp on my part. And no problem about the review and favourite, your story deserves them!**

When Tia first saw Erik on Friday morning, she let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. She clutched the straps of her rucksack tighter as relief washed over her. She'd been wrong about everything. He was here. He was fine.

She walked faster to catch up with him, but found this surprisingly difficult as his pace seemed to quicken. She sped up again, almost running, and finally got to the boy just as he made a sharp turn into the Science corridor.

"Erik." She forced out the name between short gasps, tired after her burst of unplanned exercise.

He turned and looked at her, but his eyes surveyed her smile with no expression in them. Tia's brow furrowed in confusion-what was wrong with him? Erik looked as though he was about to say something, but quickly turned away instead as if he would have been punished for letting words out. He set off at an even rapider pace than he had previously, but before he'd got a few steps she reached out and grabbed his arm just above the elbow.

With lightning speed, Erik spun around and knocked her hand away, sending Tia reeling back in shock.

"What is your problem?" he hissed, and even though he was quiet the anger contained in his tone was so great that Tia had to stop herself from backing away even more. Her voice was even more on edge than the rest of her; her heart was thumping erratically in her throat, preventing any sound from escaping. She shook her head lamely, hoping the gesture counted as an apology. Even if she'd done nothing wrong.

"Look, I know you mean well, but you've been making things worse. You should just leave me alone."

These words seemed to alleviate the pressure on Tia's voice box, if only slightly.

"But- you said-I don't understand. What happened to you?"

This didn't help. Erik rounded on her again, his masked face inches from her own.

"Why do you need to know? This is exactly what I'm talking about. You're always wanting to know my business, ever since that time after lunch. I thought you'd actually improved, but I must have been mistaken."

As he was saying this, Tia stayed frozen in front of him. She truly didn't understand- why was he suddenly so angry at her? And why had she been so stupid as to try and stop him? God, she had been naive, thinking that everything was alright.

It wasn't until he turned away again that she noticed the bruises marring his forehead.

"Magnesium."

Tia was supposed to be mixing elements in her first period Chemistry class, but so far her mind had been elsewhere and Meg's instructions had floated past without her bothering to try and catch them.

"Magnesium…"

She glanced to the next table, where Erik was working with Ryan and another boy named Sam. He was facing her, could probably see her in the corner of his eye, but he didn't look up. Why-

"Tia! Magnesium! Please!" Meg almost shouted. The brunette jumped and quickly passed the small vial over to her friend. Megan used a pair of tweezers to secure three shavings of the silver metal and dropped them into the growing mixture, which was contained in a plastic cup clamped above their Bunsen burner. The metal fizzed as it came into contact with the clear liquid, and the blonde surveyed the steam it began to release with an air of satisfaction. She then turned back to the other girl.

"What's wrong?" she said quietly, leaning on the table to keep the conversation just between the two of them.

"Nothing" Tia mumbled, looking at the polished wood between her elbows.

"Yes there is." Meg pressed "You can tell me."

She clearly wasn't going to give up so, slowly and trying not to cry, Tia told her the whole story. As she spoke Meg's eyes seemed to dilate to the size of tennis balls. When she was finished, there was silence as they gathered their thoughts.

"I'm sorry," the blonde said "but why are you wasting your time? If he got angry about something like that he has some serious issues."

"No he doesn't! Look, if the thing about the fair is true, he has a heck of a lot more to deal with."

"How are you planning to find out if it is?"

Tia had an idea, and another look at Erik cemented it. She swallowed.

"By going there myself."

"What?" If Meg was shocked before, her jaw was hitting the floor now. "Not alone!"

"Yes, alone. It'll be easier to sneak around if it's just me. Anyway, no offence but you aren't really tall enough to look 18." Tia replied, eying her friend's just-over-five-foot frame.

And it needs to be me that talks to him if he's there.

Now their roles were reversed, and Meg sighed in defeat.

"Well, if you want to go, I think I know who you need to talk to."

Tia had never really understood the phrase 'fish out of water' before, but when she arrived at the canopy beside the basketball courts she started to get a pretty good idea. Everyone was either perched atop the small picnic tables, taking group selfies for Instagram with the school field as a backdrop or leaning against the metal poles that held up the green canvas shelter. All the girls wore their hair in high ponytails, some with ends dyed blue or neon pink, and had rolled up their skirts so far that the articles more closely resembled shorts. The boys had taken off their blazers and folded up their shirt sleeves. None of them seemed to care that they were simultaneously violating about a dozen uniform policies. Tia, with her unstyled hair and appropriate clothes, defiantly didn't fit in.

Feeling very self-conscious, she made her way over to the most crowded table, where she was almost certain she would find who she was looking for. Sure enough, sitting in the centre, was Ari.

Short for Aria, this girl was the centre for gossip in Tia's year-maybe even the whole school. She knew everyone, as well as their grades, who they were with and, especially, what they thought of everybody else. She also went to most of the popular events, and the annual fairs in the local park were included in this category. What made her different from the majority of people who had this kind of information was that she was often willing to share it. From her, Tia could learn when the fair opened, what was there, and most importantly how to get into the restricted areas. Still, that didn't change how freakishly intimidating she was. Tia gulped.

 _This is for Erik, remember?_

" Ari?"

The girl looked up and stared at the intruder, probably surprised that someone who hadn't been invited had the audacity to enter the popular kid's space. She recovered quickly though.

"Tia, right? What do you need?"

All of them were staring now, and Tia forced herself not to look at the gold earrings, blinding when combined with sunlight.

"Well, I was just wondering what was at the fair….I was thinking about going tonight and no-one in my class has been. _Apart from Erik, maybe._

Aria flicked her black- and- gold hair behind her back and squinted as if trying to recall something. After a moment's pause she started listing attractions.

"There's the usual rides and stuff, games, food stalls, but the best bit is the freak show."

Her friends nodded in agreement and Tia waited for her to continue. When Aria didn't, she pressed the point further.

"And what's in there?"

Aria smiled and tapped the side of her nose.

"Where's the fun in telling you that? Go and find out."

Tia knew she wasn't being mean, but couldn't help feeling frustrated. Then again, even if she had known that he was there, she would have to attend to see exactly what she was up against. So there was no harm in going along.

A blonde girl sitting next to Ari slid her phone out of her pocket and checked the lock screen.

"We'd better start going."

The group slid off the table and started to walk away.

"Wait!" Tia called. "How do I get in?"

"Just exaggerate." said Aria over her shoulder.

At half past seven that evening, Tia stood at the park's entrance , clad in a knee length denim skirt, a black and white top, black tights and black boots that hopefully made her look taller. She couldn't fit all her curls into a generic high ponytail, so she settled with sweeping them to the side of her neck. She'd applied a little foundation, as well as some dark red lipstick and mascara. All of this was following what Aria had told her, but was also so different from her normal appearance that she felt thoroughly ridiculous.

A small group of girls who were roughly her age approached, giggling at some unknown joke. Tia followed them down the stone path as casually as she could. As they rounded a corner she took a deep breath, then surveyed the spectacle.

The field was packed with people making their way around. Younger children ran amok brandishing balloons and sticks of candyfloss, boys tried to leap onto rides without paying and adults chaperoned their screaming offspring.

There were food stalls on one side, selling everything from hot dogs to sweets, and each was crowded with their excited customers. On the other Tia could see spinning shapes, some of them suspended high up in the air. These must have been the main attractions. In the centre there was a ring of fairground games, the soundtrack of which was a mixture of cheers and disappointed groans.

But on the far side, just before the row of pine trees where the park ended, was something else. A large tent, the colour of it ambiguous in the half-light, surrounded by a much smaller following.

 _Maybe those were the brave ones._

No sound came from there, and Tia knew the moment she saw it what it was.

She took a deep breath and started walking.

 **Authors Note:**

 **Oooh….the tension is mounting! The next chapter will be quite short with what I have in mind, but on a good note that will mean it's out quicker. I'm going on my trip in just over a week for six nights, so if I disappear that's why.**

 **R &R!**


	8. Chapter 7-The Living Corpse

**Authors Note:**

 **And I'm back! I returned from France about a week ago, but then had to spend most of my spare time revising for maths and science exams. Now they're over and I've finally had some time to update this. France was amazing by the way, even though we didn't go to Paris as we'd originally thought. We were, however, in Normandy, AKA where Erik himself was born. The only downside is an annoying sunburn, which is peeling off at this moment…you probably didn't need to know that.**

 **Nothing else to report, so onto replies!**

 **AliceHeart247- Thank you so much as always- I had no idea that I could actually write suspense! And yes, the big reveal will be down below, although everyone except Tia herself knows by now :)**

 **DJ Ginger- Thank you for the review and follow, and I'm glad you're enjoying it! As for the questions, the first one actually inspired the very end of this chapter, so thanks again! And the second one…we'll see.**

The line moved forward again, and Tia's heart dropped into her stomach. There were only three people who had to move before she was subjected to the eye of the ticket collector. Her outfit suddenly felt desperate- she might as well have worn a sign saying 'Underage- Arrest Me Now' around her neck.

Someone else passed; a young woman in a Superdry sweatshirt and tight black jeans. See, that's subtle.

She busied herself by looking around the tent's entrance, something that she had refrained from doing previously due to her fear of what she might find. The structure itself was a dirty white which had probably been pure at some point but was now muddied with dirt and cigarette burns. Rough looking men manned the sides, casual at a first glance but tensed as though preparing for the escape of something contained inside. They seemed to be leering at her so she hugged herself protectively, uncomfortable from her lack of a jacket.

One person to go now.

Propped up on a stand, similar to what you would see outside a newsagents displaying the day's headlines, was a poster. It was black with a swirling vortex of violet in the centre and adorned with a pale skull that was staring unnervingly at passers-by. She couldn't bring herself to read the bill, and even so it was too far away to decipher the small print.

She was jolted out of her thoughts by a movement in the corner of her eye- the man acting as a barrier between her and the fairground worker had walked ahead. It was her turn. Awkwardly she shuffled forwards, sliding her hand into her pocket to fish out the five pound note for her admission. The guy took it, looked her up and down just once, then dropped the money into a basket at his feet. He nodded and moved aside to let her pass, which she did, shaking with relief.

Now she just had to find Erik.

The first few exhibits were pretty generic, or as generic as it was possible to be in a house of human oddities. There was a contortionist, a woman of about twenty five, who was rotating the joints of her back as if it was as simple as drawing breath. A set of conjoined twins attempted to provide comic relief, each attempting to go in a different direction to the other- an action which ultimately led to a tangle of limbs on the grass floor. A giant of a man gazed with an air of superiority over the crowd, his height emphasised by the upturned box he stood atop of.

Most of the other spectators stayed around each new attraction, gasping in a combination of fear and glee. Tia, of course, was so desperate to find who she was looking for that she barely gave them a second glance. Instead she moved quickly through the tent's different rooms, but not fast enough (she hoped) to appear abnormal.

The maze of exhibits seemed to go on forever, and Erik was nowhere to be seen. The darkness and screams blended together as Tia stumbled on. She was getting desperate when she arrived at another section- one where she could feel the cool night air through an opening on the other side. This was the last one.

She turned slowly, nervously, and was surprised to find that her view was obstructed by a wall of people, awed by the sight of whatever was in front of them. Spurred on by a newfound burst of adrenaline, she pushed through the first row. What she saw was something she'd witnessed a hundred times from the other side of a screen-but that didn't mean it shocked her any less.

It was him, she knew; though if she hadn't known of him before he joined the school she never would have guessed. He sat on a bed of hay in a rusted cage, which was just about large enough to accommodate Tom Crawley's girth. He was clad in a long white shirt which was so ripped it more closely resembled a rag, and jeans which were the same. His feet were bare, and his skin was marked with small injuries and blended with dust. But for all of her excessive viewing over the years, nothing could have prepared Tia for his face.

The right side was pale and sallow, like a piece of parchment, and partly hung off his cheek as if it was too big for his skeleton. Angry red marks covered several areas, though if they had been genetic or inflicted Tia couldn't tell. A gaping hole was where his nose should have been. But despite his threatening appearance, he looked terribly scared.

People from Tia's school were there, but none of them seemed to notice that they were screaming and laughing at one of their own. All of the deformed flesh had been previously covered by the mask, which was nowhere in sight, and the rest of him was so different that he was unrecognisable.

She didn't know what to do; she had found him now, knew a lot of things about this place, but had no idea how she was going to get him out of there. After a few short moments she made her decision- she would catch up with him back at school and befriend him again. They still had music together on the next Monday. She would talk to him then. Tia knew that he was angry with her, but hadn't he also avoided her before they were paired up for that first composition?

She tried to twist backwards and get out of the front row, but the other people were too engrossed to step aside and let her leave. Suddenly, she was pushed hard by the crowd…..straight into the metal bars of Erik's cage.

There was an unceremonious clang, and the captive boy looked up quickly. Their eyes locked. Tia tried to portray self-resentment and apology, but was met by only anger and disbelief.

She straightened up as quickly as she could, murmured an apology and ran, pushing through the area where the crowd was thinnest. Straight out of the door she went, then without hesitation she plunged into the woods behind via a path that was intended to give quick access to people from the other side of town.

Tia panted, her breath visible in the cool twilight air. How had things gone so wrong so fast? He would never trust her now, or at least take more time to do so than if she hadn't been so foolish as to crash into the cage like that.

Why did I choose the front row? Tia pondered in frustration as she began to walk home along the tarmac path. This night had undoubtedly given her insight, but it seemed to have made her task a lot more difficult.

 **Authors Note:**

 **And another one done! I think we're about halfway through now. Some more new characters should be revealed in the next few chapters, so don't be surprised if you see some familiar faces.**

 **That chapter was one of the hardest things I've had to write, because I hate doing that to poor Erik. At least if Tia gets her way he'll be out of it soon.**

 **The next chapter should be out soon, but it's guaranteed in two weeks' time when I break up from school.**

 **R &R! **


	9. Chapter 8- Forgiven

**Authors Note:**

 **Hi guys! As promised, I managed to get this out in the first week of the summer holidays, which I am quite pleased about. Inspiration also struck me for this chapter so it ended up being quite a bit longer than I originally intended, although this may also be because I wanted to make up for the imminent lack of updates in the next two weeks due to general business.**

 **Now to review replies!**

 **AliceHeart247- I know, I feel so bad for writing that but it had to done! Thank you so much for reviewing again- it's been so many times now. And the sunburn did get better- thanks for the concern ;)**

 **TrinJ- Thanks for the compliments and for returning yet again, and also for the concerns about the sunburn- everyone seems to be picking up on that :)**

"And although a lot of experts suggest that the fire caused the plague to disappear from England completely, there are still cases of it in different parts of the world today…"

Tia bent over her history book, scribbling down the information just so she had something to do. She generally enjoyed the subject but today music couldn't come soon enough. Since her unexpected arrival at Erik's part of the fair three days ago she'd had an uncharacteristic yearning to go back to school, see him and apologise-something that was essential if they were to work together to break him out of his current living conditions.

She allowed herself a brief glance over her shoulder, so that she could see Erik sitting alone at a desk directly diagonal from her own. He looked bored, as he did in the vast majority of lessons, and was staring distractedly at the droning Mr Dawn on the pretext of taking something in. For a millisecond he seemed to sense that he was being watched; his eyes flickered in her direction, then returned to the front. Tia sighed and turned back to her own work. _This was ridiculous._

She wondered what he was thinking about instead of the facts that he no doubt already knew. The way his fingers had been moving in the air, creating a silent rhythm, she concluded that it was music. Maybe it was a new part to his composition….. _their_ composition. _God, she missed him…._

Erik was already sitting down when she entered the music room, watching the computer screen intently as the piece played. Even though his hearing was handicapped by the plush headphones Tia was sure that he could hear her approach, but he made no move of greeting or indeed anything else.

Despite his lack of motion, she was still wary. Both from watching him over the years and their most recent spoken encounter she knew he was unpredictable, and wasn't going to take any chances. But even as she placed a hand on the edge of the chair in preparation for lowering herself onto it, Erik continued following the black line that displayed which part of the music was being showcased as if it was a specific point of interest.

Tia sat down. Nothing.

She knew it was impatient of her, but she was becoming frustrated. She had been waiting for days to see him and at this point, even an angry reaction would have been welcome. At least it was a reaction.

Glancing at the monitor, she saw the piece finish- then start from the beginning again. Something surged inside her and, without knowing entirely what prompted the action, she reached out, grabbing the mouse and using it to minimise the program.

With almost inhuman speed he turned, annoyance flashing in his sapphire eye- an expression probably mirrored by its partner which had been covered by several strands of hair due to its owner's drastic movement. Tia seized this opportunity and immediately began to speak, tripping over her words in her haste.

"Erik, I know that you hate me now, and you're probably still going to after I say this, but please listen to me. I am so sorry about going to the fair- I- I was just so curious and I knew you weren't going to tell me. As for what I saw, I don't care, Erik, and I can help you if you just forgive me!"

The last sentence had been a lot louder than intended, and the brunette self-consciously surveyed the classroom to check if anyone had heard. Thankfully, everyone else was tuned into their work and Mr Michaels was overseeing a concert rehearsal in the school hall. Now satisfied that her outburst had gone unheard, she turned back to her partner. He was staring at her completely dumbfounded, though whether it was from what she had said or the fact that she had actually worked up the courage to say it she wasn't sure. The silence between them was beginning to become uncomfortable when he finally replied.

"You….you don't mind? About me?"

If this line had been featured in anything else Tia would have keeled over from cuteness, but she knew now that this was to be taken seriously.

"Of course I don't. What kind of friend would I be if I did? Heck, what kind of person would I be if I did?"

Erik gave a small, grateful smile. He attempted to turn his chair so he could speak with her properly, but winced in the process as if in pain.

"You'd be surprised how many people fit into the other category."

Tia's eyes widened in shock. Had he been badly hurt? Seeing her expression he tried to reassure her.

"It's not that bad-I've got used to it after all. I was going to see if I can find a first aid kit or something."

"Oh, I'll come with you!" Her response was automatic and she instantly regretted it, so she was surprised when her friend (now she could safely call him that) nodded. He then turned back to the computer and reopened the music file. Tia leaned back with a quiet sigh. Things were finally getting somewhere.

"Quick. Down here." Tia whispered, and the two of them slipped into the empty hallway. They had managed to secure one the school's emergency medical bags that were mounted on various walls and were now searching for a place to apply its uses. Most of the school's residents were having lunch or wandering the grounds, so there was a much lower risk that they would be caught. However, some members of staff who were on duty needed to be avoided. Normally, confiding in an adult when injured would be the most sensible solution, but Erik had made it clear that no-one else was to know. Knowing would lead to questions, and they would lead to awkward interviews followed by yet more punishment. Besides, Tia had taken a two day course in medical procedures the previous year, so they could handle things by themselves.

The whitewashed corridor they had entered was home to various storage spaces: rooms where books and results were kept, the lost property and a number of closets full of cleaning equipment. It was the door to one of the latter that Tia pulled open, after looking right and left to check they were alone. She entered, followed closely by Erik who was clutching the green and white bag tightly. The light switch beside the doorway was flicked on, the door closed and bolted.

Aided by the newfound illumination, the pair could see that the room was equipped with a high shelf for polish, dusters and the like, a wooden table that housed nothing at the present time and a small space for standing. Brooms and mops in buckets were propped up in the corners.

Erik sat on the table so that he was facing away from Tia, setting the now open first aid kit down beside him as he went. Inside were several pill boxes, disinfectant for cleaning wounds, rolls of bandages, cotton wool, plasters and a manual on how to use everything. As the girl was taking account of this array, Erik began to unbutton his shirt. Tia, having selected some cotton pads and the bottle of disinfectant, looked up just as he was slipping the article over his shoulders- and she had to suppress a gasp.

His back was mutilated with scars, both old and new, scattered across the pale skin. The spine protruded from the centre, so visible it seemed as though there was nothing over it. But most prominent of all were the new wounds- large scarlet welts, about half a dozen in total, oozing a clear liquid over his marred flesh. He had been whipped.

Erik turned, obviously to see her reaction, and she attempted to put on a brave face although tears were springing to her eyes _. How could anyone be this cruel_? He was really only a child…. Tia shook herself in a reprimand to get back to her task. Tipping the disinfectant bottle upside down, she poured some of the strong-smelling substance onto a circular wad of cotton. Following this, she proceeded to sit on the low table behind the boy who was now her patient.

"This is probably going to sting," she warned before beginning to clean his wounds. Erik tensed as the liquid came into contact with the broken skin, but didn't even whimper.

As she continued to tend to him, Tia was on autopilot. This kind of scene would be commonplace in a hurt/comfort forum, but not in her life. She had been perfectly normal, besides the creepy obsessions, and now one of those obsessions was with her and she was helping him! If she hadn't been pinching herself continuously over the past two weeks, she would have never believed herself.

Once the disinfecting of the wounds was done, she wrapped a bandage around his torso and allowed him to replace his shirt and blazer. As he slid off the table and went to open the door, he uttered two words.

"Thank you."

 **Authors Note:**

 **Fluff, glorious fluff! After all the bad stuff last chapter I thought both Erik and Tia needed something sweet to cheer them up a bit.**

 **Okay, now that they're definitely friends Tia can begin her master plan, with the help of another familiar character who will make their appearance next time. On that note, I will do my best to make sure the next chapter is published soon, although I'm having visits from relatives and going to France again next Friday so I can't promise a date.**

 **Review and favourite for shirtless Erik!**


	10. Chapter 9- The Second Arrival

**Authors Note:**

 **Hello all! Apologies for the lack of updates as of late, but I've been really busy the first few weeks of the summer with maths revision, visits from friends and my trip to the south of France which I got back from yesterday. Overall I had a lot of fun; we visited a zoo and half a dozen beaches, had loads of great barbecue food and even tried oysters, which was….interesting. The only downside is that they were in the middle of a heatwave and even though I love swimming and ice cream I do prefer when it's slightly cooler. When I was hiding under various beach umbrellas though I did get a lot of writing done: AKA this chapter and half of the next one, as well as another story I'm writing for a competition. This segment is lighter than the last few, but it does introduce a new character and the story's subplot.**

 **That's enough rambling from me, so to replies! (The note I put at the end of the last chapter was a joke, but it actually seemed to work…)**

 **AliceHeart247- Thank you so much! Seriously, aside from my parents, no-one gives me compliments like on this site. Although my friends are probably put off by the fact that I keep all of POTHS on one document (from which I copy-paste and add authors notes accordingly) and it takes about five minutes to scroll through on a phone.**

 **Guest-…this feels awkward, can I call you Leonardo? Thank you and welcome aboard! Yes, I got it, and for your answer you may notice I added another genre in the description box aside from drama ;)**

 **DJ Ginger- Welcome back and thanks! You guys are really what keep this story going. And maybe…they are friends now after all.**

 **TayTayWoody- Welcome and thank you so much! I am quite proud of the idea, which actually has a first draft including me and all my friends…..**

 **Thank you to everyone (I do say this a lot) and happy reading!**

If Tia was surprised by the recent presence of a so far fictional character in her life, the jet black Mercedes in the school car park gained an almost as dramatic reaction. After she and Erik had exited the storage closet where she had tended to his wounds, they had found the majority of the student body swarming towards the main reception on good authority that someone ridiculously wealthy was joining their school. Tia didn't honestly believe this, after all the establishment wasn't private, but was pulled away by Amy and Meg with Erik following dutifully behind.

Miraculously they managed to find a place at the front of the crowd, mostly due to Meg's insistence that a good view was essential if the car's passenger happened to be male. This hope proved to be true as the door slid open, but it wasn't the detail that caused Tia's jaw to lose its sense of gravity for the second time in two weeks.

The boy was around their age; slim, and with a few more muscles than you would expect from his height, which was just under six feet. He was very handsome- so much so that a chorus of quiet squealing sounded from behind. He had slightly tanned skin, large brown eyes and pronounced cheekbones, and his smile upon arriving revealed rows of gleaming white teeth. His sandy blonde hair just brushed his collar at the ends. Even in his school uniform, he looked as though he had stepped out of an Abercrombie and Fitch advert.

Tia was not entirely immune to all of this, but since he had emerged from the expensive vehicle she had only been focused on one thing. He looked exactly identical to a younger Raoul de Chagny.

 _Just when I thought I had everything figured out._

"And did you see his eyes? I don't think I've ever seen someone with that colour before! He even looked good in the uniform- imagine what he looks like in normal clothes…..do you think-" The blonde was cut off when a disgruntled Amy clamped her hand over her mouth. The girls were changing for their last lesson of the day, P.E, and so far Raoul- which was apparently really his name- had been the chosen topic for conversation.

"Meg, I know you have a serious crush on this guy, but he's all you've been talking about since lunch," said Amy, removing her palm which was now stained fuchsia by her friend's lipgloss. Tia looked up from the shoelace she was tying and smiled. After the initial shock, it hadn't taken her too long to get used to the new boy. She supposed this was because it was the second time something like this had happened in a reasonably short amount of time.

At first she was afraid that Erik might detest him straight away, but he seemed okay with it- besides rolling his eyes at the flashy entrance. He seemed harmless, and had been put into a different class, so everything was fine. Just so long as Carlotta wasn't going to show up. That Tia could not handle.

She finished the double knots on her trainers and stood up straight again, her friends following her to the door.

"You know," Meg remarked, braiding her hair into a plait as she walked, "I'm really looking forward to hockey today."

"Please," said Amy with a knowing smirk. "You just want to see him in shorts."

Tia crouched low to the ground, shivering from the cold autumnal breeze. She was only wearing a navy T-shirt and a short black skirt, the school's required kit, but since she was playing the position of goalkeeper she had yet to do any actual moving and, therefore, was freezing.

She passed the frayed hockey stick between her hands impatiently, watching everyone else tussle for the ball at the other end. I never seem to do anything in these games. I know it's good that my team are scoring but could they please let someone else have it for the sake of my sanity?

Immediately realising that these thoughts were far too dramatic, she looked for something to distract herself. Gradually, her eyes wandered to the other side of the pitch where the boys were practising rugby, running across the prosthetic grass in teams and passing the egg-shaped ball over the heads of the waiting defenders. She had seen Erik do this before and was surprised by his ability- despite his lanky build he was the taller there and very agile, though he always made sure to catch the ball far away from his own face so as not to dislodge the mask. He was civil with everyone, and was never the last to be chosen because of his skill, but even though he had been present for a few lessons he still looked distinctly uncomfortable. Today especially; as the wounds on his back made him wince in response to sudden movement, even though Tia had warned him beforehand not to exert himself. She sent her heart out to him then, hoping the pain was bearable, and he looked up and smiled grimly in reply. Now reasonably satisfied, she turned to his new classmate- who was quite different.

Raoul ran nimbly about, dodging opponents and celebrating with a round of high fives when his group passed the line. Tia had always been indifferent to his character, but as she witnessed his antics she couldn't help but giggle.

Suddenly she heard shouting from her own game and the sound of rubber-soled feet running towards her. One of the opposition, a heavily muscled sports fanatic named Ellie, was in possession and was racing to the goal at such a speed that she reminded Tia of a Clydesdale yearling making a break for freedom. The second her foot crossed the shooting line, Ellie let the ball fly, sending it spinning towards the side where Tia wasn't (the right). The keeper lunged for a save, exhilarated because she was actually doing something, but instead the little green sphere glanced off the corner where the goalposts met and started rolling purposefully towards the boy's side.

Tia sighed. Since she was the one who would start the game up again, it was her duty to collect the stray piece of equipment. Even if it wasn't, a frustrated shriek from behind told her that Ellie wasn't really up to anything. She went after it, jogging to keep up a pretence of fitness. When she was about halfway she noticed Raoul stop it deftly under his foot, pick it up and begin to walk back to her.

They met about halfway, and he slipped it into her hand as she uttered her thanks.

"It was nothing." His voice was loud and rich with an upper class air to it, every syllable carefully enunciated. Tia also noticed a hint of a French accent, but it was so slight that she realised his earlier lineage had resided there rather than himself.

"I'm Raoul by the way." he continued, seemingly ignorant to the fact that this was now common information. His eyes sparkled when he spoke.

She chose not to enlighten him. "Tia."

"I saw you when I arrived. You were in the front, right? As if it were normal to have an audience when you joined a new school. _Still, he's probably been to places where it is._

"Yeah."

"I don't know how everyone knew I was coming."

Oh, just not expecting anything from us. Better. He looked genuinely confused though. The meme creators would have a field day.

"You'd be surprised. Stuff tends to get around this place pretty fast."

He sighed, the sparkle dulling to a flicker. "We should have just taken a different car, the Merc seems so overdone." Then he laughed as he dispelled everything he'd said during the conversation in one sentence. "Rich people problems."

This was so unexpected that Tia made a strange gasping noise before showing her amusement. She knew he'd have a sense of humour somewhere, but not the decisions to pull off a joke like that. If this was an accurate reincarnation, she wished he'd had a bit more screentime.

"You two! Stop flirting and get back to your lessons!"

They looked up, startled. Mr Bell, the boys' stern P.E teacher, was walking briskly towards them, his silver whistle bouncing against his chest with every stride. Tia had been taught by him the previous year and knew him to be generally nice, but dreadfully impatient when it came to slackers. She looked over her shoulder and saw her own team glaring at her, hands on cotton-clad hips. Raoul grinned one last time before running back to his side, dodging a controlled blow from the coach as he went past.

 _He's sweet_ ; Tia thought as she returned to her own game and whacked the ball away to appease the waiting defenders. _Just as a friend, obviously, but it'll be nice to have him around._

Out on the pitch, waiting rigidly on the edge of the current scramble, Meg scowled.

 **Authors Note:**

 **So yeah, that's the new character. Some of you were probably expecting Christine but I can say now that she won't be making an appearance. At least not in this story. Raoul was going to be in this from the beginning, but I have changed his character from the way most people write him in a modern setting. I'm indifferent to him in the original, but I really didn't want to make him an idiot like most people do in school settings. I hope the joke there was a surprise to some people :)**

 **Since the next chapter is half-done and I'm not going anywhere for the rest of the holidays, it should be up quite soon.**

 **Review and favourite for n- …..I mean R &R!**


	11. Chapter 10- Accusations and Agreements

**Authors Note:**

 **Hello everyone! Apologies once again for this instalment not coming out sooner, but I've been very busy settling into the new school year- buying supplies, homework, even making dinner for my family curtesy of my Food Tec class. It was delicious if I do say so myself! However, today is an inset day for the school's open evening so I finally got to finish this. This is kind of a filler chapter that serves as partly a subplot introduction and partly as some bonding time between Tia and Raoul and Tia and Erik.**

 **Review replies now!**

 **AliceHeart247- Thank you and yes- Erik will have his time in the spotlight next chapter….oops, spoiler. And I don't think you're missing that much sports-wise; American football is pretty much rugby with bigger helmets and you get to do hockey on ice, which sounds waaay cooler.**

 **TrinJ- This is actually for the last chapter but anyway, thank you! Hurt/comfort is a favourite of mine.**

 **Cinnamon Muffin Punk- Thanks for the DM and for the congrats on the story! I hope you drop a review at some point.**

Tia arrived at school the next day in sky-high spirits, something that was very unusual, even for an optimist such as herself, for someone awaiting hours of hard graft and study. The sun had risen into a cloudless sky, paving the way to an unexpectedly pleasant day for both the country and the time of year. As she walked through the gates she was surrounded by a throng of students all seeming to share her emotion; the buzz of excitement flowed throughout the crowd, then rose and added to the warm air. Pairs of glasses sporting lenses that darkened when the owner ventured outside were brought out, and even those whose parents made them wear the full uniform for presentation's sake had slipped off their cardigans and were waving them above their heads in a celebration of liberty.

After taking a detour to English so she could take in as much heat as possible, Tia got out her things and placed them on her desk, somehow taking much more care in the task than she would in the miserable cold. Afterwards, as usual, she surveyed the room for a partner in conversation, and was quite surprised when she did not see Meg. Her friend was driven to school each day from just down the road, as her mum worked an office job further along in the same direction, so she would always be waiting in the classroom for a long time before being joined by anyone else. A thought crossed her mind that the blonde might be ill, but only for a moment because despite being petite and seemingly weak against the elements, Megan was sturdy and only rarely knocked aside by injury or sickness.

In her contemplations Tia almost didn't notice her come in, as she had fallen into step with the group of girls walking in front of her. When she did though, she was immediately concerned. Meg's eyes were red and puffy, and two tell-tale lines wet her cheeks. In an attempt to keep up appearances as she entered the room, she sniffed and ran a tissue- the last of a packet probably opened in the last hour- over her face. She crossed her arms defensively as she weaved between the tables, keeping her gaze trained on the carpeted floor.

Tia stepped into her friends' path as she drew closer, prepared to give sympathy and, if necessary, a hug. But Meg didn't look up. Reaching a hand toward the weeping girl's shoulder, Tia attempted to soothe her.

"Hey, Meg, it's okay. What's wrong?"

The response that met her was far from expected; the blonde sped up suddenly and knocked her arm aside with the sharp blade of her thin shoulder. In the brief second that their heads were close, she hissed. "You should know!"

And then she was at the back of the classroom, sliding behind her place and trying to avoid the anxious stares from those around her. Tia stared too, choked with shock. What in the world was going on?

In her quest for a neutral party, Tia sought out Amy at the first break of the day. While waiting at the foot of the stairs that descended from the girl's classroom she spotted Meg coming the other way, so grabbed her friend the moment she was within reach and pulled her into another hallway before they could be detected.

"T, what-" Amy started, but was cut off by the increasingly panicked brunette.

"Why's Meg acting so weird? I tried to talk to her in English but she won't listen and she says it's my fault! I don't understand what I did wrong!" A sob, more from frustration than anything else, escaped from her mouth.

Amy stared at her, and for a moment she wondered if she'd get a rehash of Meg's reaction for her trouble. Instead the other girl blinked- furiously and with the look of shaking herself-and murmured under her breath.

"Oh, so she really didn't mean it."

Although she wasn't sure if it was intended or not, Tia heard this and cocked her head to one side in the same manner as a dog trying to decipher the commands of its master. Amy looked up, suddenly aware of her-albeit one person- audience, and increased her volume.

"It's Raoul."

"So, she thinks you were trying to get with me yesterday just to spite her?"

Tia nodded. Once Amy had explained the situation, she had found her so-called 'victim' at the next opportunity and conveyed everything. Raoul had listened coolly, clearly amused by the whole thing.

"And you want me to help you…..how exactly?" He continued, nonchalantly brushing back a part of his fringe that had fallen into his eyes.

"Just talk to her- please. And maybe tell her you're single. Casually. Because we're not look, just talk to her!" Most of this was communicated by whispering, as they were surrounded both by other boys from her year (clearly Raoul hadn't had any trouble making friends) and the slowly moving crowd of people outside the dining hall. Those who had been listening for a while were starting to giggle inanely, and Tia felt herself blushing.

"OK then, take me to her. But don't think I'll ask her out straight away. Bye guys."

It did not take long to find Meg, who, even in these dire circumstances, could still be trusted to remain firmly inside her normal routine. She was one of those people who felt more in control that way. Sitting in her usual place at her usual table on the upper level of the cafeteria, she stirred her salad around its plastic bowl until it looked distinctly unappetising. Amy was opposite her, awkwardly scrolling through her phone. Raoul gulped.

"Wow. She got affected pretty badly."

"You think? Anyway, now you're on your own. "

"What?" He stepped back giddily and just missed a dinner lady who was making her way through the tables with a plastic bag of food refuse. Tia quickly yanked him forwards, thankfully preventing a very messy scene.

"You have to. What will she think if we go up there together?"

He sighed. "Fine. But if I come back with a large quantity of lettuce on my head you'll know why."

With that, he began to ascend the short flight of stairs to where the two girls sat. Almost immediately after he had gone, Tia felt a presence behind her.

"Hi Erik." She said before she had completely turned around. In the weeks they'd known each other she had got used to him turning up in complete silence like this. It was endearing, and only a little creepy.

Once they were facing each other she automatically gestured towards the serving line. He still hadn't told her why he didn't buy food himself, but judging by his treatment she had been able to tell that this necessity probably wasn't funded by his current guardians. Although he declined the majority of the time, he couldn't stop her getting things instead. Unsurprisingly, he shook his head, but today his expression held more than just gratitude. He needed to tell her something.

"What is it?" she asked. Sensing that it was important, she led him outside, after a last glance at where Raoul had joined her friends. He was sitting now, and all three were smiling. That was always a good sign. Once they were under the secluded shade of a large tree, Erik began.

"It was really good of you to try and smooth things over with Meg. Especially after she overreacted so much."

"Oh, she wasn't. She tends to be crushed if anything romantic doesn't go the way she wants."

"Anyway, I respect it. I've decided that I…..I trust you."

Tia's heart skipped a beat. This was definitely leading somewhere- but where?

"And I think it's time to tell you how I came to be here."

 **Authors Note:**

 **Well, I'm going to have to get out the Susan Kay book again so I can convert it all into modern day situations. And probably read it on the way….let's just say I'd be lying if I said there wouldn't be tears involved.**

 **As I said at the beginning, I'm back to school now so won't have time to write as much. But hopefully Chapter 12 will be out soon.**

 **Remember to fave and review!**


	12. Chapter 11- The Story

**Authors Note:**

 **Hi! To be honest I think this came out pretty quickly considering its sheer scale. To be exact, it's the longest chapter so far by almost 700 words. I don't really want to make it any longer by writing a huge note here, so since I haven't really done anything these past few weeks I'll just skip down to my reply!**

 **TayTayWoody: Thanks so much! People on this site definitely appreciate my work more than anyone. As for the smiling, I think your comment covered that nicely :)**

" _I_ _was born in the north of London, near Richmond Park. The house I grew up in was very large: four stories and a huge garden behind. You like the idea of it, don't you? Well, I probably would have too if my family had perhaps been more accepting. "_

" _My father died in a building accident while Mother was still with child. He was an architect, you see. She hated talking about him so the only thing I managed to find out is that his name was Charles. Perhaps it was just me though. From the moment she first laid eyes on me she hated me. She never said so, but I could always tell. I never went anywhere with her, never set foot out of the house, because she was terrified of people seeing me the way I was. I'm sure she tried to get me some kind of plastic surgery, but of course I was too young and as I grew so did the initial fear of bringing me anywhere. I was tutored in my own room when I reached school age, although with our wealth I could have been sent almost anywhere."_

" _To keep myself occupied I would read, draw, and both play and write music. From an early age I could play reasonably complex pieces on piano and violin. I also played with the family dog, Sasha. Seeing as I didn't go to school, she was my only friend."_

 _Even when Mother was at home she couldn't bear it, and had me wear the mask from when I was just an infant. I resented it at first- it was uncomfortably hot and left cuts and blisters on my skin-and I didn't understand why it was mandatory. Especially as it was on only one side. It was on my fifth birthday that I found out the truth."_

" _We had a gathering around the dining room table; myself, Mother and Marie, our housekeeper at the time. Marie gave me a gift, and since I had never celebrated the occasion properly before I wanted to know if I would get something from everyone. Mother said that she would give me anything I wanted, within reason, so I asked for two kisses. One to have straight away and one to save for later. It seems a trivial thing to want, but I'd never received anything of the sort before, aside from Sasha's licks. I thought I was being perfectly reasonable, but clearly Mother didn't."_

" _She screamed at me, our heads almost touching, saying that I mustn't ever ask that again. I had never seen her so enraptured. In fear and anger I ran to my room, locking the door behind me. I stayed for nearly an hour, but the scent of food beckoned from downstairs until I could no longer stand it. Before I left though I slipped the mask off. Eating with it was so painful and besides, nobody else was required to wear one."_

" _The moment she saw me I knew I'd made it worse. She leapt from her seat, sending her chair clattering on the tiled floor, and grabbed me by my shoulders, shaking me and shouting. I asked why she was so angry and as an answer she yanked on my sleeve and dragged me, amid Marie's protests, to the hallway. There was a large mirror mounted on the wall there, which was (as far I knew) the only one in the house. She held me up so I was level with it, digging her polished nails into my sides."_

" _This was the first time I'd ever seen myself and my reaction wasn't pretty. I was so terrified by this monster that I flung myself at the mirror in blind panic, flailing until my hands were covered in shards of glass. I didn't know it was me; I hadn't had enough experience with mirrors to know how they worked. Mother left, leaving the maid to tend to me until she finally returned hours later. She put me to bed and promised that as long as I always wore the mask, the face would never reappear. "_

" _Soon after this I began to grow very interested in architecture. I found some of Father's designs in our library and drew inspiration from them, quickly filling my room with 'masterpieces.' Mother grew intrigued by my scribbling and contacted a scholar at an academy of fine arts in the city. He came to visit the next week and was clearly skeptical, but that was hardly surprising considering he was to have an interview with a toddler. The three of us sat down in the lounge and he set me various tasks, mostly drawings and naming parts of buildings. These were so simple for me I was insulted, but complied. Our guest was impressed, and I sent him designs for years afterwards."_

" _Soon following architecture was engineering- I became obsessed with finding things to take apart. One day I asked Mother for a mirror of all things. I was determined to find out how they worked and how the monster from my birthday had managed to access it. You might think it's odd for a child of five to lack the knowledge of reflection, but remember that I had only seen one once before. Anyway, she hesitantly granted my request and installed one in my room. As she was admiring its placement I saw that her twin had appeared in the glass. I became confused, even more so when she reluctantly told me that a mirror only shows what's in front of it. Gradually everything became clear to me. The mirror in question didn't last the night."_

" _Now I knew about my own face, I obviously wanted to find out the cause. A specialist visited, a Frenchman by the name of Etienne Barye, to explain the workings of the rare genetic mutation that had befallen me. I listened stoically, but often cried in my room afterwards. My family had always considered themselves Christian but in my misery I declared that if there was a God he would never be this cruel. Mother snapped at me for my blasphemy, of course, although she looked as if she was wondering the same thing."_

" _After the first essential times though, Etienne kept coming. Not for me, though. He was always pleasant with me-but then again it was his job. No. Instead he came for Mother. They left sometimes, to parks and shopping centres, and she always returned with gifts. She was clearly smitten. I never really liked him, even before he caused it."_

" _As I reached the age of seven I began to grow restless, venturing further afield in our grounds than I ever had before. Sometimes I even climbed atop of the wall just so I could glimpse the street below. I always bobbed back before anyone could see me though. I wanted friends, but years without outside contact had almost given me a phobia of strangers. One day I was skirting the bottom of the garden, carving drawings onto the stone using a sharp stick with Sasha ambling beside me. Ambling was her preferred speed now; she was getting on in years. I stopped to admire my handiwork on the brick, when without warning a boy appeared over the wall. He was a lot older than me, about Tom's age, and very normally formed. The moment he saw me he reeled back, almost falling, yelling to someone below. Then there were five of them, most even larger than the first, leaping onto the grass and grabbing me, yanking at the mask with clumsy hands. Everything happened so fast. They were all screaming, hurting my ears, so I twisted my head and sank my teeth into an arm. Then I was on the ground with them raining punches and kicks, Sasha barking in the background. I heard a yelp, then silence."_

" _Lying groggily on the floor I wasn't sure what made them leave. Now I think it was probably guilt. As I wrenched myself up, head spinning, I smelt blood. And then I saw her, my brave Sasha, slumped over with the stuff dripping from a wound on her head and a loose brick stained with the refuse beside her. I was screaming, I knew, but the roaring in my ears was so deafening that I could hardly hear at all. Mother found me burying her and tried to drag me away, but I wouldn't go anywhere until it was done. Once the initial shock had begun to ebb away, I felt a sudden sharp pain in my lower chest. Etienne was called; his diagnosis was two cracked ribs on my left side. I stayed in bed for days, and it was here I found out the reason for the presence of our intruders."_

" _They had heard their parents discussing the doctor's credentials after he had been fool enough to mention them and come to the conclusion that they had to witness this freak of nature for themselves. Mother forgave him instantly of course, but I could not. My ribs didn't particularly bother me- it was Sasha's demise that caused my hatred. I became increasingly difficult, refusing meals and any treatment he offered, even fighting him physically sometimes. Mother despaired. She obviously confided in him and often talked about me when they thought I was asleep."_

" _About five days after I was injured, I heard them downstairs. Only in snatches as my door was closed, but enough. She was crying, saying that she couldn't bear it any longer, that I was driving her insane. It didn't take him a moment to suggest that I could be put into care-there would have to be a lot of paperwork but he knew people who could speed up the process. Then they would be alone to share a life and have perfect children."_

" _This made me both outraged and terrified. I didn't want to be locked away with other unwanted children, forced to go to school and be tormented by my peers every minute. I knew immediately what I had to do. Silently, I unlatched my bedroom window and scaled the wooden frame that was used to hold the creepers that grew up our wall. I had only one rucksack; it contained a handful of notes, two changes of clothes, a torch and a few cherished designs. I didn't think I would need much else."_

" _I didn't waste any time. In my exhilaration I found my way to the nearest train station, buying something warm from a cafe there and devouring it in my plush seat as the countryside sped by. I might have fallen asleep, but it didn't matter. My ticket was to the end of the line. "_

" _When I emerged I was in a small town- a long road of shops with a park at the end of it. I could hear music and thrilled screaming from the large field, but since I thought there should be a place to bed down under a cover of trees I headed towards it. This was the fair, and I had never seen anything like it before. As I wandered dumbfounded through the stalls, I failed to notice that I was entering an area marked 'OUT OF BOUNDS'. A circle of cars and caravans, it was where the travelling folk lived. Before I knew what was happening I was surrounded by hostile faces and shoved to the floor from behind. Whether out of curiosity or pure spite I wasn't sure, but it did not take them long to remove the mask again. I was terrified of these strange people; however they showed none of the same emotion back, even after the article was taken off, and this unnerved me even more. Immediately after they'd done this, a man stepped forward out of the crowd. He was grossly fat, even humorously so, but now did not seem an appropriate time to laugh. He told me that his name was Javert and that I was to be part of his act from now on. My name was never asked for- I was always simply known as 'corpse'. "_

" _I was brought to new home, as Javert called it, which looked like a rusted cage on wheels that had probably housed some kind of vicious animal prior to myself. When I saw it I protested furiously, digging my heels into the mud and screaming in the vain hope that someone would hear and come to my aid. There was no such luck. The man who was now my master threw me in nonchalantly and locked the metal gate, leaving me. My first performance was the next night. "_

" _The cage (I still refuse to call it my own) was wheeled into the largest tent. The whole thing was set up as a zoo; people would pay and then tour each exhibit at their leisure. Once they reached me they would scream and taunt without a modicum of humanity. Everyone else was paid for their expense and returned home at midnight, but since I had no home of my own I stayed. Javert always said it was for my own good, that I would almost certainly die if left alone. I would rather have taken my chances. My only liberty was the mask, which I was still allowed to wear any time I wasn't being showcased. The fair travelled every fortnight to a new village in the south of the country, and in this routine and my newfound misery the years passed in a foggy blur. All too soon almost eight had passed; I was fifteen and ready to begin my GCSE's. The gypsies had to have annual inspections on all the children that lived with them. We were given intelligence tests to see if additional textbooks should be sent or if we should be brought into the government's education system. Before I had always done well due to my excessive reading as a child, but this year was different. Since I was older and this was such an important series of exams, they let me choose if I would like to be instructed by qualified teachers in a school setting. Despite my time as a sideshow having caused bitterness towards the human race, I said yes. Javert was furious of course, but there was nothing he could do. Once our rotation bought us to the local park, I started here."_

" _The first day was a blur. I did want a good education, so I all I could do was try and keep my head down and ignore the stares. Then Tom and his friends came for me, which just cemented the philosophy I'd created over the past decade that the majority of the human race was entirely unsympathetic. When you tried to help me I was so sure it was a hoax that I just backed away. In music I wavered, but when the shows started I wanted to make sure you wouldn't find out. So I scared you. But of course you turned up anyway, and I was so ashamed that you'd seen me like that because I still liked you- underneath everything. I wouldn't look at anyone else that night, something that earned me the longest beating Javert had ever given me. Then you said you didn't care about it, and I knew you weren't lying. You're my friend Tia. I know that now."_

She started to cry then, she couldn't help it. The area around the canteen was empty now; a teacher had probably come to round everyone up but had missed the pair who were still standing behind the oak that guarded the entrance to the PE buildings. They were going to be late for 4th period, however for once Tia didn't care. This meant so much- the once elusive Erik now trusting her completely. He wasn't a character brought to life any more, he was a real boy. _Her friend._

"Oh, please don't cry. That really wasn't the point of all this." Hesitantly, he reached out and pulled her into an embrace. With her head against his chest, listening to the quickening thrum of his heart, she made a resolution. I love you, Erik. I love you. And I'll do anything I can to get you out of there.

 **Authors Note:**

 **OH THE FEELS. THE FEELS…..**

 **So what do you think Tia's big plan is going to be? Next chapter should be out soon as I have a half term coming up.**

 **Remember to R and R!**


	13. Chapter 12- Failed Affections

**Authors Note:**

 **Hi again! I know it's been a while but I've been SUPER busy with school, my birthday and going out with my friends for Halloween. I also went to London with my cousins last week and saw the theatre where Hamilton is going to play at! It looks amazing and I'm definitely going to try and get tickets- that is if it isn't sold out in the first ten minutes, which it probably will be. Speaking of musicals, I've got two coming up in December: Blood Brothers on the 9** **th** **and Les Mis (!) on the 21** **st** **.**

 **Now onto my lovely replies!**

 **TrinJ- Thank you! I do try to make their scenes as fluffy as possible.**

 **fluffychickenz- Thank you so much- hopefully I didn't keep you waiting for too long. Also, I love your username. Makes me think of Tia and Erik with beaks and little wings…maybe that's just me.**

 **Alyson- Thank you! You actually commented on my birthday so I consider it an extra present. There are a lot of people on this site that are way better though :)**

 **TayTayWoody- Thank you so much for returning! I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint.**

Tia took a sip of the school's current designated water and swallowed to conceal her nervous gulp.

Surprisingly, Raoul's talk seemed to work and she was met with a sincere apology accompanied by a crushing embrace at the start of her next lesson. The blonde said how she had overheard some of the boys discussing the apparent pairing after the PE lesson and how, with her already present anger, she had believed them straight away. Although Tia felt a faint compulsion to be angry at her friend for lapping up this obvious misinformation, she couldn't. After all, she had made her own fair share of mistakes over the past few weeks.

As if sensing this slight hesitation and wanting to make up for it, Meg gave the sudden suggestion that Erik should join them for lunch the next day.

" _Because you two have become so close, but Amy and me haven't met him properly yet. "_

After some thought she had agreed. Now she wished she hadn't. She knew how long Erik had taken to get used to her, even when she had been unrelenting nice to him. Her friends would probably be perfectly civil, though of course she worried about them anyway. It wasn't really them, if she was honest- it was a certain blonde boy who was at that moment trying to be diplomatic about the taste of the cafeteria fare. True, nothing went wrong when they had been in P.E. together, but they hadn't had any one on one contact throughout the entire hour. Anyway, Raoul had been with all his friends then- and Erik hated conflicts against a crowd _. Now he's on his own…._

She tried to shake herself into stability- but this time her efforts were wasted. The years of being conditioned to this hatred had taken its toll, and however hard she tried she simply could not imagine the two boys ever having a relationship that was in any way platonic. _Maybe I should have read those slashfics….. OK, that's definitely too far._

For the purpose of distraction, Tia looked round at her companions. Meg was sitting opposite her, ignoring her plate of chicken and rice in favour of her neighbour. Considering they hadn't even talked enough to warrant a proper friendship, their current positions were a little too close for comfort. She was partially leaning on him; her hand stroking his blazer sleeve as another would a beloved pet. Raoul was at the end place of the small table, so could not move to escape these affections without appearing insensitive. Amy, sitting on Tia's right, was conducting the conversation in an attempt to make everything less awkward.

Finally, Erik appeared, ascending the stairs to the upper portion of the cafeteria. Tia held her breath, not exhaling until he was seated at her left hand and had exchanged a look with his former nemesis. Then she slid him her plate, along with another set of cutlery, but he pushed it back without looking at its contents. She took it without comment. He was always like this when in close quarters with other people. Somewhat gratefully, the brunette ate it herself. Her wish of being 'involved' in a hockey game had been granted the last lesson, and she had done so much running that she sensed some fuel tank inside her was running on empty.

"You're in my PE, aren't you?" asked Raoul casually- as though someone as noticeable as Erik could possibly be overlooked.

"Yes." the other boy stiffly replied. He looked down at the table, clearly not wanting to partake in a group conversation. This silence was soon broken though by Meg giving an exaggerated sound of realisation.

"Oh, you're doing rugby, aren't you? I bet you're _so_ good at that." She gave the blond's forearm a small squeeze, causing him to shudder at the unexpected contact . Tia sighed and mentally rolled her eyes. Well, he'll tell her sooner or later. Won't he?

After over half an hour of awkward conversation of that calibre, Tia and Erik were finally alone. As they walked towards the maths corridor, dodging packs of sprinting Year Sevens and various airborne water bottles, she decided to mention the plan she had been formulating while trying to tune out of Meg's obvious flirtations.

"So, are you allowed to go out? I mean, when you're not doing a show." The last part was dropped to a whisper, and she only hoped that her previous assumption had been correct.

"Technically, I am. Since I go to school every day Javert does let me have a little freedom. I'd have to be back early though or else he'd call the police and say I stole his earnings and ran away." He smiled. "Or at least that's what he tells me."

"Great! So, would you….." Her words caught on the tip of her tongue; she felt like a fangirl, struck dumb by meeting their favourite band for the first time. Well, the first part was true. "Would you like to come to Brighton with me? Maybe Friday after school?"

His next word hit her like a primed hand grenade.

"Okay."

 **Authors Note:**

 **I know, obvious filler chapter is obvious! I just wanted to get something out for you guys reasonably soon because the next instalment will be a lot longer. So, what do you think will happen on Erik and Tia's date?**

 **Rate and Review!**


	14. Chapter 13- The Date

**Authors Note:**

 **Hello all! It's been a long time but I honestly had no idea that this year would be so ridiculously busy. Tests, homework, choosing trips for next summer and prefect applications -which I was successful in by the way :) - all leading up to options in January. I also wrote a debate speech about Disney for a competition…which we admittedly lost to a private school that had twice as long as us to prepare…but it was still fun. Blood Brothers earlier this month was good but Les Mis yesterday was perfection. I also got my first musical related shirt there, which is way too big for me but very comfortable (I'm wearing it now).**

 **Now onto review replies!**

 **DJ Ginger- Thank you for the compliments, although I still think the last chapter was a little lacking in substance. And the Halloween costume sounds amazing- I went as a skeleton from the Day of the Dead.**

 **TayTayWoody- Thank you for returning a third time and for the lovely comments! I think this instalment will lean more towards pure fluff but conflict will definitely come up as the story nears its climax.**

 **Sarah- Thank you so much and sorry for keeping you waiting for so long! I hope this doesn't disappoint.**

 **Peace-n'-Luv-4601- Is that a Les Mis reference in your username? Thank you just for that and of course the great review!**

 **THANK YOU AND MERRY CHRISTMAS!**

Standing outside the local station in the quickly fading light, Tia shivered. It wasn't from the cold-although the English winter air certainly qualified in that respect. Nor was it from illness, for despite many children dropping like flies from seasonal bugs over the last few weeks, she had been lucky enough to evade them.

No. _The reason for all my shudders_ , she thought with a repressed grin that threatened to transform into a squeal if she opened her mouth, _is that I am about to go on an ACTUAL DATE with the very person who I have fantasized about since I was twelve!_

The whole concept seemed unreal; the plot of a terrible straight to DVD movie or a sitcom from the nineties. And if that wasn't enough, she just seemed too….normal. She didn't have a secret superpower; she wasn't the heir to a foreign throne or the most popular girl in school. She was just- Tia.

In an effort to calm (and to convince herself that the involuntary movement had not spread to her hands) the brunette took out her phone and navigated to her Fanfiction page. Since everything had started she had been negligent in updating, and recently it had occurred to her that she should check how this was impacting her following. As she opened the reviews however, she was pleasantly surprised- aside from the few regulars begging for the next instalment sooner, there was nothing even remotely negative. Sighing, she folded the case back over with a snap. There didn't seem to be a point in writing anymore. The characters were real to her now, and it struck her as selfish to be making up fictional scenarios when there was one staring her right in the face. _Hopefully tonight would create a solution….._

A train rattled overheard; its harshly monotonous rhythm was all she could hear until it had grinded to a halt. When intuition told her to look back and see the time of the next one, she was startled to see Erik walking up the path from the corner of her eye. She had expected him to arrive, of course-if not she would have been hyperventilating by now, but had definitely been imagining waiting for longer. As she told her mum earlier that she was due to go out with a boy, she had been sure to remind her to drop her off only an hour after she finished school so as to quell any suspicions that may have grown over the two day period. Because of this she had been prepared to wait hours, so the forty minute reality was somewhat gratifying.

"Hey." she greeted as he neared her, reaching into her coat pocket to retrieve the two tickets she had purchased upon her arrival. She took one of the small cards into her other hand and pressed it into his palm.

"That's yours."

As the object came into contact with his skin he looked up sharply.

"Tia, you didn't have to pay…"Any gratitude that he had was gradually disappearing under a growing frown.

"Honestly, it's alright. You can buy the ice cream."

His eyebrows rose. "It's December."

"So?"

He shook his head with a grin, knowing when he was beaten.

Although it was still a work night for most, the city was packed. The station chewed them and spat them out barely digested with the throng, looking distinctly more disgruntled than when they had arrived. The flow of people, much like that of a river, thankfully filtered and spread as it neared the sea. Many had abandoned the view of the water in favour of getting some early Christmas shopping done, or simply due to the fear of the icy breeze without adequate insulation. Glad that their ability of unconstricted movement had returned, the pair headed through the winding lanes until they reached a small shop on one dishevelled corner. Its sign bore the image of two words encased in a white cloud against a black background speckled with candy-pink spheres- _'Boho Gelato._ ' Tia said the name like it was an incantation.

"You weren't joking about the ice cream then?"

"Nope."

"You are crazy."

"I know. But this place is almost worth the straightjacket."

She led the boy inside the shop, which was unsurprisingly empty; even the staff appeared to have taken a break to the office behind. Striding to the counter, her eyes became saucers as they danced over the fridge before them. Row upon row of technicolour goodness winked back at her.

"I try and have a different flavour every time I come down here", she explained, turning back to her amused friend. "And this time I think I'll go with…...honeycomb." The last word was accompanied by a stab of her index finger onto the glass, in the vicinity of her selection.

"What do you want?"

"Oh, I don't know…. I've never had one before."

Tia performed a bizarre jump, as if she had just been shocked.

"You never…had a...never?"

Erik shook his head. "The fair sells them a lot, but…"

As she looked at him, the brunette felt a stab of guilt for her recent surprise. In her excitement she hadn't seemed to register that what he'd said was perfectly plausible. Besides, this was an opportunity to introduce him to one of the other loves of her life, and that was definitely a good thing.

He had noticed her expression faltering, so she plastered a large smile onto her face before she spoke.

"Well, there's a first time for everything. You like chocolate right? Good. You can never go wrong with chocolate."

He smiled back, reassured, and nodded.

Seemingly on cue- or perhaps having been listening from the back- a woman clad in the company uniform appeared behind the counter.

"Hi, can I help you?"

"One honeycomb and one chocolate on cones, please." Tia said, stepping back in awe to watch them being prepared. She knew it was childish to display this kind of fascination but she couldn't how it. It amazed her how such beauty could be contained in a ball of flavoured milk….. _wow, that's a weird way of putting it_. Or maybe she was just the type who found it in unexpected places….

Her server handed the cones-with serviettes wrapped around them for safekeeping-across the countertop, where Tia proceeded to pass one to Erik.

"That will be four pounds please." said the woman, opening the till with a soft chime. At this Erik paled and whispered frantically.

"Tia, I don't actually have any-"

"I know." she interrupted gently. "I've got it."

"So? Do you like it?" Tia asked, having to shout to be heard above the wind. They were walking up the promenade towards the pier, whose lights were flashing manically in the now more prominent darkness, and up until this point the girl had been purely focusing on attempting to eat her ice cream without swallowing a stray bit of hair instead. With a small kiosk blocking the weather's onslaught though she had time to find out if her edible gift had gone appreciated.

"Yeah, it's nice. Though in my opinion not entirely worth a straightjacket." he turned towards her, his eyebrows betraying the otherwise reasonably well concealed sarcasm.

"Ha. Look at all these other people, the ones shivering and cutting their trips short because of the wind. Obviously it's because they have not been blessed with THE POWER OF ICE CREAM." In her last phrase she donned an announcer's voice and flung her arms wide, almost simultaneously throwing her dessert to the passing seagulls and dealing a blow to Erik's head. He caught her before the latter happened, guiding the limb back to its normal position.

"Okay, I believe you. Very much worth it."

"See? I knew you would agr-oh, Erik!"

"What?"

"The starlings!"

Sure enough, as she spoke, a pitch black cloud was moving across the water. It seemed unnatural, twisting in a way that surely could not be controlled. As one looked closer, however, they would see that this writhing mass was in fact made up of many tiny bodies, each with the common goal which appeared at this moment to be putting on a show. The birds moved as one, creating a vortex of beating wings in the air. More swarms arrived as they watched, and soon the sky was full with hundreds upon hundreds of starlings.

Unconsciously Tia leaned closer to her friend, wanting to share this moment with him. She did not realise how close this had really been though until her cheek touched his arm right beneath the shoulder. Knowing he may not like this contact, she drew back, only to be brought closer again by the same arm wrapping itself around her. She closed her eyes, oblivious now the wind which whistled chillingly around her ears, and wished this moment would never end.

 **Authors Note:**

 **Well, that was difficult. I've never written a romance this prominent before and since I have hardly any real life experience (besides the fictional crushes of course) doing this was even harder. Still, I think it turned out alright, what with the reveal of Tia's more eccentric side.**

 **Boho Gelato is a real place in Brighton by the way, and I'm not using it for product placement although it is amazing. I'm not an ice cream-holic like Tia but I do love it and my favourite flavour is mango :)**

 **R and R!**


	15. Chapter 14- Careful Formulation

**Authors Note:**

 **Hello again- and I'm very sorry for what has quite possibly been the longest hiatus so far. And for what is essentially filler as well, though it does need on to the chapters which will bring the story to a close. This was originally going to be published on Friday, as it was this fic's first anniversary (I can't believe I've kept it going for so long!) but it took quite a while to form in my head. Life has also been very busy too, with options, tests and getting into a new fandom. Yes, I've started watching Sherlock and it is now one of the banes of my existence…especially Benedict.**

 **Now onto replies!**

 **Guest- Thank you SO much; to be honest it's one of my favourites too. More importantly though, the food survived :)**

 **Harry Potter and the TARDIS- Thank you very much and yes, the reason I started writing this was because of my own slightly creepy obsession.**

 **Peace-n'-Luv-4601- Thank you for returning! Also phew… that is what I was going for.**

 **Guest (numero 2)- Thanks a lot! Christmas was great and I hope yours was too. I thought Erik may come across as a bit OOC but he's just my own interpretation.**

 **RuSavage- Wow! I never thought I'd get any paragraph-long reviews on this story, then you gave me two! Thank you very much!**

 **Kaylyn Palmeter- YESSSS, ALWAYS THE ICE CREAM! THANK YOU: D**

 _The sky was violet: it held the full moon like a bouquet clasped to its chest. Despite the obvious lack of sunlight, the air contained warmth, not clingy like that of midsummer but a simple comfort. Waves lapped against the pebbled shore, dragging the small stones away then back again with a sound that despite its initial harshness was one of the most calming in the world. The gulls that normally filled the air were gone, leaving the sky bare save for the white beacon and the stars that served as its guards._

 _Although she was surrounded by beauty, the girl at the edge of the promenade did not spare a glance on any of it. Her auburn curls, as if drunk on moonshine, capered in the wind, but she made no move to reach back and attempt to control them. Her eyes were transfixed on the sea below, and the shape slowly making its way in from the horizon._

 _As it neared she saw that it was a boat- a small rowing boat with room for two at the most. The vast majority of space was taken up by various satin cushions though, white and gold and silver. An elongated figure stood at the prow, gracefully parting the waters with a long pole. He looked up- and she gasped. The right side of his face was covered in a white, porcelain mask, but this was not what shocked her. Everything else, illuminated by the light of the moon, looked as though it had been sculpted by angels._

 _The vessel neared the shore, and his gloved hand extended in invitation. When the appendage was offered the girl felt a fluttering in her chest. Stumbling slightly, she clutched the handrail for support and blushed when his smile grew._

 _For the first time she began to wonder how she would actually get down to the beach. It was a fifteen foot drop from where she stood- and that was if she managed to vault over the metal railing placed there for safety. There were several sets of stairs for visitors use, but they were few and far between._

 _She looked up again; he hadn't moved. By choice she would not have stopped staring at him, but something in the corner of her eye managed to tear her gaze away. Almost indistinguishable in the inky blackness, however visible if she squinted, a dark cloud was forming high above. Normally her reaction would be to turn and run from this ominous sight, yet this time she knew exactly what it was. Raising her arms in exaltation she let the birds swarm around her, creating a feathered blanket- and slowly lifting her into the air. She started as her feet ascended the first few inches, but soon relaxed in the flock's embrace._

 _They carried her right over the fence, then lowered gently until they were hovering over the craft in the sapphire waters. The boy smiled again as she was deposited beside him and put his arm around her when the sudden rock of the waves caused her to stumble. She looked down- and was surprised to see herself clad in a flowing white gown, the ends of which were so far down that they curled around her feet. Then his face was inches from her own and he was whispering to her._

" _Sing, my angel of music…"_

Then Tia woke up.

She blinked at the sunlight coming in through her partially open curtains and groaned. During the night her duvet had become a cocoon, binding the brunette's arms to her sides and leaving her feet exposed at the end of the bed. Carefully, she unwound the covers then forced herself to stand, the stereo reading 7:32 giving her the needed willpower. As she splashed cold water onto her face in an attempt to wake herself up, a thought passed through her mind.

 _As long as I live_ , NO ONE _is knowing about that dream._

Tia closed her eyes and sighed in annoyance as yet another excitable Year Seven slammed into her chest. She looked at Amy, who was standing on the opposite shore of this new sea of children, and the other girl gave her a look of pity. They were both trapped in the lunch queue, and to herald the beginning of December the cafeteria staff had decided to assault their ears by playing obnoxious carols through the intercom system. It wasn't so much the songs themselves- although they brought back painful memories of listening to hours of grating singing in primary school (and that was before her ear had been seasoned with theatre)- it was the fact that the younger years could not seem to control themselves while they were playing. She had been used as a springboard multiple times now and it was starting to hurt. _Honestly, it's like they've never heard Jingle Bells before._

Finally, they escaped this torture, making their way across the room to a table where the music was slightly less predominant. Meg was holed up in the library trying to meet a coursework deadline so the two were just waiting on Erik. Tia did not ask where he went during the first ten minutes of every lunch period, but could guess that it was to escape the crowds, if only initially. However, when someone sat down on Amy's right it wasn't who she was expecting.

"Hi" said Raoul as he slid into his place."Meg told me that she'd be studying and I didn't want to disturb her."

Amy donned a look of mock surprise. "Really? I thought she'd want you to be there."

"So did I. It's a bit of a relief to be honest."

The girls looked at each other and rolled their eyes in unison.

"What?"

Tia sighed, as if dealing with a troublesome toddler who kept making the same mistake over and over again.

"Why don't you just tell her you're not interested?" she said, reflexively leaning across the table for privacy's sake. Raoul stared back at her, seemingly agonised.

"I can't say that; she'll get upset again. This has never happened to me before."

Tia felt her eye twitch again, but the blond looked so sincere that she forced it to stay dormant- though she still couldn't believe him. While she was searching for the correct response, Amy- who was not particularly talented in subtlety - provided one for her.

"Really? In the eleven years you've been at school, no-one has ever had a crush on you?"

He blinked. "No, they have...they've just never been quite as...forward about it. And even if they were, they always revealed themselves soon before I was due to leave. We move around a lot, you see. I don't know how say no."

Tia was in the middle of thinking how tragic and yet surprisingly sweet this revelation was when Erik suddenly arrived. She'd only seen him at glances during the first few hours of the day, as their classes weren't the same, so she looked in shock and dismay when she saw the pattern of fresh bruises on his skin, covered in part by the section of his hair that had fallen forward as he sat down.

"Erik, what-" she began, but stopped as he put his hand up to silence her.

"It's fine. There's nothing else."

Despite his attempt at reassurance, Tia still felt a boiling hatred in the pit of her stomach for whoever had inflicted those marks, no matter how minor they might have been. And rightly so, she thought. _No-one deserved to be treated like that._ While trying to relax her expression, her features settled in a look that very closely resembled one of confusion. Erik seemed to take this is a question, so he continued in a hushed tone.

"It was because of the Christmas fair that we're putting on this weekend. We have to move to the next town over and apparently I just wasn't moving fast enough. But honestly, it's okay."

Tia had stopped listening before the first sentence was over. The cogs in her brain, though slightly rusted, were now turning, and an idea was forming there _. A Christmas fair… This time I'll be ready._

 **Authors Note:**

 **And, there it is. What is essentially the penultimate chapter before the climax begins! I really hope this gets done before Easter, but considering the last hiatus I can't promise anything.**

 **Remember to R and R!**


	16. Chapter 15- An Odd Development

**Authors Note:**

 **Hi guys! After a long and extremely painful bout of writers block, I have returned with Chapter 15! After this there are only two more and perhaps an epilogue if one is needed, and I am trying to get them out before Easter so I can give printed copies to my relatives when we're on holiday together. I know it's a little over the top for a fanfic writer, but this is the first story I've ever written that has surpassed 5,000 words :)**

 **Speaking of surpassing goals, this story has reached 50 reviews! Thank you guys so much- I appreciate it especially because there are so many stories that I just read and don't do anything else with… I should probably work on that.**

 **The Black Shadowed Starling- Don't worry, if Tia has anything to say about it then he's not going anywhere! As for what she's ready for, all will be revealed in the next couple of chapters. Thanks for the love for the cringey dream sequence as well: D**

 **Peace-n'-Love-4601- Thank you so much! It's really a well done to you guys for waiting so long, if I'm honest.**

 **Child of Dreams- Though his eyes are usually described as yellow, I decided to be nice to him and make him a little more relatable for the modern day. Thanks for picking up on it though.**

Tia trudged through the school gates, creating a small cloud of steam with her every exhale. The algidity which had started off bitter was now fresh and crisp, crocheting a layer of frozen lace onto the exposed skin of her face and hands. Frost, seemingly an arrival from the previous night, had fashioned intricate mosaics on the stone pathway- works of art that had thankfully not yet been tarnished by the rest of the student faculty. The brunette trod carefully, wanting to make as little of an impression on the beautiful things as possible. Although she knew it was fruitless in the long run she couldn't seem to help herself attempting to preserve them.

As she reached the main entrance Tia looked back at her progress, then beamed at the sight of only a few scuff marks marring the sea of white. It was rather a false sense of accomplishment, but if she was honest with herself she needed it. In her mind the plan was essentially complete now, but she still had a persistent, aching, unbaiting doubt that it would work on the night. _It has to, though._

Time was running out. School ended tomorrow and the Christmas fair was the day after. Erik knew the bare bones of her strategy; the rest she would relay to him as soon as she could. He had also told her the layout of the new site and positions of everyone that he knew of, as well as the exact time that they would start letting people in. Despite this, quite a large portion of it all would rely on improvisation.

While she was speculating what this might include ,Tia was interrupted by what at first appeared to be a combination of perfume and reckless ardour but morphed into familiarity once it emitted a squealed rendition of her name. Meg paused for a brief moment when she reached her friend, smoothing back the tendrils of flaxen hair that had fallen loose from the bun perched precariously on her head. Then the floodgate opened.

"Oh my God, Tia! You'll never guess what Raoul told me just now!" Before the other girl had a chance to speak, the blonde had reached into her pocket and retrieved a silver envelope. It was ornate in design; a gold leaf pattern curled around each of the edges and petered out just before it reached the centre- where her name was neatly penned. Hesitantly, she reached out and took the card, but before she could ask as to its significance her friend started up again.

"It's an invitation to his party next week- the whole year's going! His house is absolutely huge and his parents have got someone to do a fireworks display and everything! Please tell me you're going- it's going to be so cool!"

After waiting a few seconds to insure that she wouldn't be interrupted, Tia replied, beginning to tear the flap of the envelope as she did.

"I don't know Meg, it just depends when it is."

To answer her own question she pulled the paper out of its sheath and skimmed down the elegant font. 22nd December, 7:30-Late. _Six days from now…._

"Well?" the other girl asked, though in her current fluster it sounded like a demand. Tia blinked slowly. It had only taken a few short seconds of looking at a date that was so close, but yet so much further away than the one that was important, for her to be sorely reminded of the severity her mission held. Lost in this state of somewhere between concentration and anxiety, it took a repeated snapping of fingers in front of her dazed eyes for her to focus once again on Earth.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Yeah, of course." Fighting against her own emotion, she forced her mouth into an unconvincing smile. Meg's face, which had previously been set in an impatient countenance, softened.

"Are you okay? You seem a bit distracted lately."

Tia's eyes widened in surprise- she hadn't known that her discontent had been so noticeable, especially while her friend had been so occupied by her most recent infatuation. Anything that hadn't been communicated at an almost inhuman pitch was rare, so this genuine concern took her by surprise. She sighed, thinking that the least she could do was offer a genuine answer in return. Her friends knew that she was planning on helping, but she assumed that they had come to expect a less radical method. Hesitantly and stumbling over her words as she did so, she explained her desired outcome.

"But don't you remember what happened last time?" Meg asked when it was done. "It took you ages to even get past the entrance, and there were so many people once you did. It'll probably be even busier this time- how are you going to get him out?"

"I've worked everything out, Meg. Erik's been helping me; he's told me a lot of stuff. I don't really have time to explain now, anyway." This was half a lie. Although it was definitely a lengthy account, she didn't particularly want the blonde to know about the plan's lack of precision.

"Tell me later then." her friend replied, shrugging in a detached manner that immediately made Tia suspicious. Meg didn't give in that easily…. something was wrong.

"What are you-" she started, but it soon appeared that her friend hadn't finished.

"Because this time, I am coming with you."

" _What?"_

"I'm sure Amy will too. But you can't stop me. It's going to be dangerous and I want to help."

"But-"

"Please?"

Tia was about to snap a definite 'no' into her face, but that last word stopped her. The plea was so genuine and she probably did need at least some help. Besides, it was her plan, so she could still take on the majority of it herself. She felt as if a huge burden had been lifted from her shoulders before she even said anything.

"Okay...fine."

"Thank you!" the squeak of her voice had returned in her excitement, something that Tia became overly acquainted with as she was pulled into a tight hug in which Meg's mouth was in close proximity to her eardrum. Needless to say, it was painful.

While trapped in this deadly embrace though, she spotted something in the corner of her eye. Leaning against the stretch of wall between two classroom doors (presumably the place where Meg had come from) were Raoul and his ever-expanding group of friends. But it wasn't them that surprised her- in fact it was quite amusing to see them joking around like this, no matter how terrible said jokes may be. It was who they were doing it with. Amy, on time for once, was standing at the ringleader's side and laughing with the others. She too was holding an invitation, but it lay forgotten in her palm. Instead she was staring at the boy in front of her with a look of almost blissful affection.

 _Amy?_

Her friend turned as if she had heard this fleeting thought, and stared straight back at her. Not with an expression of guilt, but one of pure shock that mirrored her own. Then Meg pulled away, and she had to fight the urge to peer over her friend's shoulder. The blonde was smiling broadly, as if breaking into a freak show was the deeply bonding experience she'd always been waiting for.

"I've got Geography with Amy first. I can tell her then." she said, making Tia gulp. She contemplated telling Meg for a second, but decided against it. _It's probably nothing; there's no reason to start an_ _argument now_. Then with a sinking feeling she realised- _besides, she'll know once she turns around._

When she did, however, Amy was gone.

 **Authors Note:**

 **Well, that's it! Next chapter will take place at the fair itself, I promise. This is more focused on the subplot, as it really hasn't had that much of a spotlight previously. After all, it wouldn't be a retelling if there wasn't the classic love triangle!**

 **R and R!**


	17. Chapter 16- Back Again

**Authors Note:**

 **Finally! It took a few solid hours of writing to get this out, as well as plan how the big finale was going to go down. I don't really want to make this part too long, as so many of you have been waiting patiently for this to be completed, which is a good thing because nothing has really happened, about from the news that I've got into a ski trip with my school next year (I can't ski). This is the first part of the climax, so it won't be as action-packed as the second, but it is the penultimate chapter before the story ends… so sad.**

 **The Black Shadowed Starling- Thank you- I really am terrible at keeping deadlines. As for Amy, you'll find out more about her in the next instalment and the companion series I'm hoping to write.**

 **Child of Dreams- No spoilers now… but you will find out soon….. yeah, suspense isn't really working for me. Thank you!**

 **Nocturnal Fangirl- Thank you so much and I am so sorry for keeping you waiting this long. I hope this doesn't disappoint.**

 **TheBritishRose- Thank you! Also, it's a weird coincidence that your review was posted only a few minutes before I started editing. Good thing I saw it :)**

Tia felt ready to go into battle- if makeup counted as armour and the most highly regarded strategies were used to decide on a perfect outfit. She had read somewhere that people were more likely to trust the attractive, so she had spent a long time preparing. Using almost all the utensils she owned she had exaggerated her eyes, giving them the look of dazzling emeralds that caught the eye instantly. Her lips were painted scarlet; she hoped that they looked intimidating rather than crude. Remembering what she had learned last time, she was dressed casually but sharply in black trousers and a lacy jumper, with her favourite leather jacket on top. Her hair was the only thing that remained mostly unchanged, as she thought its flyaway appearance made her look tough and indifferent. She needed that more than anything.

Once the brunette was satisfied with her appearance, she retrieved her phone from her bedside table and checked the time. _6:41_ \- only a few minutes until her friends were due to arrive. She could wait downstairs, but she feared that if she did her nerves would send a current straight to her feet and she would escape out of the back door into a night that lured her with its promise of escape from all responsibility.

Instead, she sank down onto her bed and took a shuddering breath. There was a feeling of nausea in the pit of her stomach, one similar to that experienced by a glossophobe about to make a presentation in front of their class. Tia had always imagined something like this, especially when she was younger; her fantasies could be used on Urban Dictionary as an example of self-insert. She could be a new member of the corps de ballet, a travelling writer, or even (in the strange and unexplored depths of her imagination) an amateur ventriloquist with a habit for making snide comments from the eves of the opera house. In each story she would have a crucial part to play, and when she returned to reality she would think about how amazing it would be if they were to ever come true. But now…. _now…_.

She hated her fear. Resented it. But at the same time, she knew that it had an element of rationality. As much as she tried to look past it, she was just one girl with as much authority in this situation as a private held over an entire army. How on earth could she possibly be any help?

 _Stranger things have happened before_ , she reassured herself forcefully. _And anyway, it's up to me_ _now. It's my plan so it's my job to execute it_. And then, for good measure- _everything will be okay._

The doorbell rang, and she hoped with every fibre of her being that she was right.

If she had thought the previous fair was crowded, this one was bursting at the seams. People moved together in a swarm that was gradually moving towards the centre of the site, shouting for their friends and singing disjointed Christmas carols. Tia noted that some of the words were vaguely slurred and rolled her eyes. It was only 7pm.

After waiting for the flow to thin somewhat, she stepped onto the grass with her friends close behind. The mud beneath emitted a satisfied squelch as her shoes made contact with it, and she heard Meg utter a moan as she met the same fate. The blonde had insisted on wearing knee length boots, 'for both style and height', she said, so her friend could not help smiling a little at her reaction. Amy laughed aloud for she, like Tia, had chosen to wear something that wouldn't prohibit them from running. But because of what happened the day before as well as her own doubts, Tia did not join in.

Everyone began to separate once they reached the circle of attractions, and the girls struggled out of the fray to get their bearings. This park, in the town neighbouring their own, was much larger, and everything seemed to be on a much greater scale. The rides now had roped off areas to keep the lines in check, and there appeared to be a lot more of them. The food stalls had traded in their traditional carnival fare for more festive things- chestnuts, turkey legs and candy canes. To top it all off, the whole place was haphazardly decorated in red and green.

Despite their odd, rustic kind of appeal, the aesthetics whirled past Tia's eyes in a confused blur. There was only one thing that she was looking for- Erik said it would be right at the back…. Craning her neck towards the sky, it took a few seconds to find the tent in a shadowed corner of the fairground. Her friends had followed her line of sight and they waited until it was horizontal again before asking- "So, what's the plan?"

When she got to the front of the line once again, Tia felt surprisingly confident. There were a only a few people around this area, mostly adults and some boys she recognised partially from school, but this didn't bother her. Once she got inside she would make her way to Erik, then wait for a gap in spectators so she could free him. The last time there had been no workers in there, as far as she could tell, and Amy and Meg were circling the tent with phones at the ready to text her of anyone approaching. Everything was finally starting to come together until the ticket collector spoke, hand raised in a halting motion.

"You can't come in here."

"W-what?" she stammered, her mouth clamming up as she fumbled with the five pound note in her hand. "Why not?"

"Over-eighteens only." he smirked, gesturing to an obviously handmade sign stuck onto one of the entrance flaps that echoed his words.

"But-" Tia swallowed and tried to think, but before she spoke she knew that her pause had already given her away. "I am eighteen. I just look a lot younger; people say that all the time." She tried to laugh, she really did, but it came out sounding shrill and full of desperation. The smirk became a distinctly unpleasant leer.

 _Nononononononono…._

"Well, unless you can provide some ID you'll have to leave." His tone was frustratingly patronising, and the brunette could sense the laughter threatening to escape. She turned away- knowing it was pointless to argue her case further. Rubbing at the hot, angry tears that pricked her eyes, she half-ran to the other side of the marquee where Amy was waiting. They found Meg quickly, and Tia told them the news amidst her rapidly hitching breathing.

"It's fine." said Amy, once she and Meg had got their friends heart rate back to a relative normal. "There's a gap in between the tent flaps, just around the corner. If Meg and I cover for you, you can go in."

"Okay. Thank you."

It only took a minute to find the place that Amy had mentioned; Tia lifted back the canvas just a fraction so she had some view of what was inside. The makeshift room was lit dimly by a single lantern hanging from the ceiling, and for the moment it was empty. After waiting a minute longer to be sure, she slipped through the opening.

The area appeared to be serving as some kind of corridor, a passage between exhibits, and she supposed that the breach in the side was used by employees so that they could enter without disrupting the crowds. Those crowds were non-existent at the moment-having abandoned the freak show for more festive pursuits this early in the evening- so there was no need for anyone to find her here.

She ventured through the next few rooms, trying not to make eye contact with any of the performers. It may have been rude, she knew, but she needed to move with celerity and in her opinion it was still marginally better than staring. After four of these encounters, she recognised the area right before where 'The Living Corpse' had been on display.

She turned the corner and there he was, sitting in the cage whose bars had rusted with senility. Tia began to walk towards him and his head snapped upward, eyes widening in what she at first thought was surprise. Smiling, she kept going, but the closer she got the more his expression looked like blind panic.

"Tia… don't." he said in a whisper.

It took all of a few seconds for her to realise that he was looking past her, at the shadowed corner she had blatantly ignored. Even before she wheeled round, she knew who was going to be there.

"Tia… he wouldn't tell me your name. I've been waiting for you to show up."

 **Authors Note:**

 ***insert dramatic cliffhanger music here* I think we all know who the mysterious figure is, but just in case I won't spoil it here- and no, it definitely isn't Christine. That's the penultimate chapter guys, I hope you enjoyed!**

 **Remember to R and R (let's see if we can hit 60 reviews by the end of the story)!**


	18. Chapter 17- Freedom For Now

**Authors Note:**

 **Hello all- and I'll warn you now that the story does not end here. The next chapter will be considered an epilogue as originally planned, but due to a general lack of inspiration this morning and the perfect place for a cliffhanger there will be a bit more of that than intended. You faithful readers have been waiting for this for ages and I don't want a rushed ending to disappoint. However, you can expect the next chapter within two weeks of this one, or at least once I've had my upcoming Science exam (revising for which has been another thing that's been taking up my time this week). This has essentially been a paragraph of excuses, so I will get onto replies now! There were eight reviews this time too- a new record ;)**

 **The Black Shadowed Starling- Yep, and a very specific one at that! Thank you :)**

 **Guest- After a long time waiting, hopefully your prayers have been answered! And as an atheist, that's another thing checked off my list of things I never thought I'd say.**

 **Child of Dreams- For your first question, yes and no. As for the second, I haven't decided whether to be nice or not (though to be honest he does deserve it).**

 **PrincessMagic- Yay- writing in instalments like this may have actually improved my cliffhanger skills! And thank you so much!**

 **Harry Potter and the TARDIS- Thank you and I'm very sorry for taking so long. As for that dude, you'll find out soon enough….**

 **Juniper- Thank you and here it is- once again apologising for the lateness.**

 **Guest- Very sorry for not being ASAP, but hopefully three days after your comment is good enough?**

Tia was frozen.

A bizarre mixture of cold, terror, anger and an underlying nausea pulsed through her; reaching every limb before culminating in a fiery mess at the centre of her brain. Every instinct screamed at her to get away but nothing worked. Aside from the uncontrollable shudders that occasionally wracked her form, she stayed completely still. Though she desperately wanted to turn and offer some kind, any kind, of reassurance, she couldn't. She knew exactly what would happen if she did.

Javert mirrored her stance on the other side of the room-except his was a voluntary state. Cold and mocking, he stared at her, as if trying to calculate what she would do next. This lasted what could have been seconds or minutes, until he spoke.

"If you leave now and don't come back, I won't even call the police." The pretence of a friendly smile appeared but Tia wasn't that stupid. She shook her head fiercely, face grim with the effort it took to do so.

"What was that?" he asked, quieter than before, his tone daring her to disagree.

It took her a while to find the key to wherever her voice had been locked away, but she eventually found triumph.

"N-no," she choked. "I'm not leaving."

The words came out so hushed that the brunette wondered at first if he had heard them. Then his expression twisted into one of growing fury and the answer was obvious. Immediately, she took a step back. Her eyes darted towards the opening in the canvas and Javert's followed her gaze, his smirk returning.

"No one else is coming in. The show was closed after you arrived."

Tia was beginning to realise that hers hadn't been the only plan tonight. She tried desperately to think of a way out; finding none. She might have been able to make it by herself but she knew that wasn't an option .If she attempted to make her way to Erik, she would be intercepted before she made it halfway. So what else was there?

Her phone buzzed once, twice, in her pocket. Amy and Meg. Tia hoped with all her might that they did not come looking for her. True, it would mean backup, but there was no question that her adversary could do the same.

In these moments of thought Javert had come forward somewhat. He stood imposingly in front of her, eyes glinting with satisfaction.

"Not leaving isn't a problem- I'm sure we can find an alternative…"

Fear bubbled in her head, so much so she started to feel faint. As her vision began to cloud, she glimpsed a sudden flash of silver and its movement towards her. Then there was a sudden shout as Javert was pushed aside; the harsh sound brought her back to attention. Erik, a set of keys dangling from his mouth, was standing over his fallen master, who was sprawled on the grass. The knife that he had been planning to use lay beside him.

Tia did not waste any time. Grasping her friend's hand in hers, she sprinted for the exit and out into the night. The familiar shadows cast by the trees gave her a pleasant sense of deja vu, as they reminded her of the night she fled after seeing Erik's face for the first she was retracing her steps with her goal completed, and it felt wonderful.

After a time the pair stopped, assuming they were safe due to the absence of a pursuer for their entire escapade. Erik was still wary though, glancing in every direction and listening for any sign that they weren't alone before he spoke.

"I didn't tell him about you." His voice was quiet, but he spoke with an almost pleading sincerity.

"I never thought you would, but.." The brunette hesitated, but she had to know. "How did he find out?"

"Spying, mostly. He got to school early and watched us say goodbye. He might have even paid someone to find out what we were saying. I don't know. But when I got back he locked me in and told me he was setting up a trap. I stole the keys when he left for a moment and- you know the rest."

She nodded and they kept walking. Before they had got more than 30 feet, however, Tia's phone buzzed again. At first she thought that it was a harmless check-in from her friends, and her fingers were poised to type a reply until she read the message.

 _Help._

It did not take long to find their way back to the tent. Fuelled by adrenaline and urgency, any tiredness born from their previous exertion was gone, replaced by a determination that overruled all else. When they arrived, Tia led the way to the last place that she had seen her friends, figuring that they could not have been taken too far. _After all, allowing the crowds to see your prisoners must be bad publicity._

As they passed the halfway point of the makeshift structure, her suspicions were confirmed as there was a shrill cry from nearby. It wasn't entirely unintelligible, but Tia could not quite make out the words. It sounded like the moment Amy or Meg (most likely Meg; she was a lot more likely to express outrage in this situation) had started shouting, a hand had been clamped over their mouth. Trying to block this image from their heads, they hurried on.

Slightly to the right of the attraction, there was a small cluster of caravans. They were very similar to the sort that you could see on antique shows, with red wheels and intricate floral patterns, and if this were any other time Tia would have found them charming. Now, even as the quaint vehicles got closer and closer, she barely noticed their design.

She was tempted to jump right into the circle, but before she could Erik pulled her behind one of the caravans. After thanking him in a whisper, she leant against the polished wood and peered around to see what was happening to her friends.

What the found made her breathe a sigh of relief. Amy and Meg were huddled together in the centre of a circle of gypsies, Javert among them, but other than looking slightly tousled they were unharmed. Tia turned to Erik, who nodded and began to move around to the other side of the ring. He would provide a distraction, while she took care of the remaining guards and signalled for the girls to run. Their captors had not seemed to waste time on bonds, so this part would be easier than expected.

A loud clang sounded and four men were directed to investigate, leaving the same number remaining. Gingerly, Tia made her way forward, shaking still more with nerves. No one was facing her, which gave her confidence to move faster. What she noticed too late was that the four guards had become three, and that realisation only came when a pair of arms grabbed her around the waist….

 **Authors Note:**

 **Oh Tia, always getting in random scrapes wherever you go. Don't worry, I won't be redundant and have Erik save you again.**

 **Remember to R &R!**


	19. Chapter 18- Savior

**Authors Note:**

 **Oh my god. It's finally over. 16 months and a heck of a lot of blood sweat and tears later, the final chapter is here. It took five hours of solid writing (I even stayed off YouTube, see how dedicated I am) to get this done, but it is here. I'm proud of myself for getting this far (over 30K, whoop whoop) but not so much with the actual content. Oh well, what can you do except laugh at it five years from now?**

 **Now onto reviews, and my dirty mind has noticed that there are 69 ;)**

 **TheBritishRose- Thank you so much- hopefully this is the conclusion you were hoping for.**

 **The Black Shadowed Starling- Yeah, Tia isn't the smartest in these situations. But she is very brave, as you will see.**

 **Juniper- I read the first part of your review and got very scared. But thank you! Here it is!**

 **Child of Dreams- Perhaps…there is certainly a rope involved.**

 **TrinJ- Yay you're back! Thanks so much for the motivation from the beginning. And yes, my exams went very well. Especially English ;)**

 **NOW, ON WITH THE STORY (ALSO WARNING FOR MODERATE VIOLENCE)**

Her first reaction was to scream, but the second a sound left her lips it was muted by a large hand forcing its way over the lower half of her face. She struggled, making muffled yelps, but the grip only tightened, cutting off her air supply. Realising that if she kept this up she might pass out from a lack of oxygen, Tia finally calmed.

She kept her eyes fixated on the ground as she was shoved forward. Amy and Meg were surely looking at her but she refused to meet their gaze. _I'm meant to be the capable one here. It was my plan, but also my mistake._

 _I hope they forgive me if we make it out alive._

After stumbling forward a few paces, the arms suddenly released her, sending her sprawling onto the grass. It was soft on her skin, so she closed her eyes and tried to focus on that alone. To make everything else disappear. There was no chance of that, though. It seemed only a matter of seconds before she heard footsteps; the vibration of the ground seemed to reach her even a significant number of metres away. Someone's foot prodded her sharply in the back- a signal to get up. She obeyed, pulling herself up onto her hands and knees, then slumping back onto her tired legs. Just because the vast majority of her hope was lost didn't mean she could afford to be deliberately insolent toward her captors. She had made lot of mistakes that night, but she wasn't that stupid.

Javert was standing before her once more, but the confident smirk he had previously worn was gone. Instead his features lay still-with the exception of his eyes. They glinted with the colours reflected from the fairground behind, sparking like a dynamite fuse reaching its end. A thick coil of rope was twined around his hand; he stroked it affectionately as one would a beloved pet. The second she saw this she tried to look somewhere else, eventually settling on the large, plum-coloured bruise that had formed on his temple. She sighed quietly. _At least she'd been given an ounce of satisfaction._

"So, you got our message." he said, stiffly. Tia could tell that he would be amused if he hadn't still been trying to secure his escapee. She knew this goal, of course, so what he said next hardly surprised her.

"Now, tell me where he is."

"No." The word was out of her mouth before he had even finished the command. No matter what became of her, there was still a chance that Erik could get away, and she was not giving that up.

"We'll let you go if you do. This is your last chance."

"I said no."

The pain was instant, a stinging sensation that burned every inch of her until it felt like she couldn't bear it any longer. She cried out on impact, the shock being too much for her to prevent otherwise. Twin shouts of her name sounded from beside her. Once the worst was over, she lay on her front, trying to force out each breath. The brunette kept her head to the ground; she was so nauseated that going any higher would undoubtedly cause her to faint.

Tia didn't know how long she stayed in that groggy state. It could have been seconds, or hours. Finally, when the agony had faded to something duller and her head no longer felt so heavy, she raised herself again. He had let the whip hang loose and her stomach lurched when she noticed the tips were stained red.

A hand tentatively brushed her shoulder, causing her to flinch away on pure impulse. She turned her head and saw Amy for the first time, with Meg close behind. Although they still looked okay, Amy's eyes were brimming with tears and Meg was already crying. A moment of silence was shared, each girl reassuring the others with her determined gaze. Javert's voice broke the quiet too soon.

"Have you changed your mind?"

Then, behind the caravan nearest to her, she caught a glimpse of a tall figure. _They could still make it._

"Answer me."

 _This time she was ready._

"No. I haven't."

The whip was cracked again, but this time it landed on no-one. Anticipating its move, Tia had leapt out of the way the moment she had finished speaking, heaving herself to her feet. She jarred her back terribly in doing this, but the adrenaline that fuelled her movement made her forget the pain. The men who had been standing idly by this whole time were moving closer so she had to act fast.

"Run!" she yelled, then did so herself, dodging anyone in her way. Her friends, who had followed suit when she stood, came behind her. They were only really barred once, but that was taken care of by a well-placed kick from Amy. Apart from this though, they just ran, Tia whimpering at her injuries. When they reached the edge of the caravan circle, she felt fingers link with her own. Their presence lit a flame inside her, albeit a flickering one, and she struggled on until they reached the bright lights in the distance.

What happened next was fuzzy in her memory. They had reached the long row of assorted food trucks, still doing good business despite the time, when their pursuers decided to take action. She remembered the whip in the air-so many times without meeting its mark-then a crash that seemed so far away. Erik had left her, so all she could do was try to keep from keeling over and listen to the screams as they fought around her. There was an almighty noise, something scraping over the ground followed by a loud bang, then a burst of amber light as everything else turned to white noise.

Then there was nothing.

When Tia awoke, all she could see were silhouettes. Six of them, blurring in and out of focus before her. Disorientated, she squeezed her eyes shut again, not sure whether she could trust her vision.

"Tia? Are you awake, love?"

Her mother's concern coaxed them open again, and she was reassured to see (quite literally) that her visual perception had improved. She was lying in a hospital bed in a room with sterile, whitewashed walls, her privacy kept intact by two large screens that enclosed her and her visitors. There were her parents (of course), Amy and Meg, Erik and, surprisingly, Raoul. Even more bizarrely, the latter was not being clambered on by Meg, or anyone else for that matter.

"What happened?" she croaked, instantly cringing at how her voice sounded.

"There was a fire at the fair." Amy supplied. "One of the trucks turned over and the fryer just went up in flames. You fainted, and that's when most people saw the blood on your top and figured out that something was really wrong. We all got to the other side of the park and loads of people helped to keep Javert and the rest of them subdued until the police arrived. He's locked up now." She beamed and Tia gave a sigh of relief.

"So…. how long was I out?"

"Nearly two days." said her father. "It was partly caused by smoke inhalation, but mostly from the stress put on your wound. You can probably be discharged soon, as long as you keep a bandage on "

"Good! She doesn't want to miss the party!" Meg chipped in, raising her eyebrows. She gave a sigh of mock desperation. "I hope Ryan can take me."

Tia blinked. She stared at the blonde, then at Raoul, then back again. "I thought-" Then she looked at Amy, who appeared distinctly amused. The other two followed her gaze.

"No, nothing like that." Raoul said quickly. "I've just told the truth. I don't like Meg that way. But it isn't her. It's like that with all...well...girls." He smiled sheepishly and busied himself with gazing at the floor. "I should have told you sooner."

"Oh." she let this information sink in, which was quite a difficult task when all the slash kept coming into her mind. "That's okay."

Her eyes then made their way to the only one who had not yet spoken, just as they had in that first day when he walked into her history lesson and turned her world upside down. He stepped forward, the mask cleaner now but still as distinguishable as ever. At first she thought of how the plan could have been made so much simpler, how so much could have been avoided, but that could not be helped. She had been there from the start, she had made friends, and most importantly, she had helped.

And as he kissed her, she cared not for how he had come to be there- be it magic or coincidence or a waking dream.

It may not have always been, but this was real life.

 **Authors Note:**

 **Well, there you have it. I'm not going to give my in depth reasoning for why Raoul is gay, but to be honest it suits him in this. No flames please.**

 **I'll be taking a break for a while now to work on my first original novel, but you might see me around in comments sections, etc. Now, as Tia says in her own replies: stay awesome!**


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